


the pheromone enterprise

by SwordOfQueen



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alpha Kim Jongin | Kai, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Arranged Marriage, Bottom Do Kyungsoo | D.O, Drama, M/M, Mentioned Kim Junmyeon | Suho, Mentioned Oh Sehun, Minor Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol, Omega Do Kyungsoo | D.O, Romance, Slow Burn, Smut, Top Kim Jongin | Kai
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-18 02:33:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 30,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28735785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwordOfQueen/pseuds/SwordOfQueen
Summary: Kyungsoo never thought it'd become his future, ending up in an arranged marriage with no other than Kim Jongin, the stoic alpha that everyone wants. Even less he expected to share any chemistry with Jongin — heartbeat loud in his ears when it happens.
Relationships: Do Kyungsoo | D.O/Kim Jongin | Kai
Comments: 42
Kudos: 204
Collections: Kaisoo OLAO Chapter Three





	the pheromone enterprise

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone!  
> Thank you, whoever gave the prompt, and also a big thank you to the mods for making this all happen while being very understanding throughout!  
> Hope you'll enjoy the story<3

“Is it true the company is being acquired?” Chanyeol leans his over-sized body over the table as Kyungsoo steps inside the whisper-yelling range — Jongdae saving the alpha from a soaked tie.

Chanyeol and Jongdae’s thirst to gossip is unquenchable — the fear of causing a commotion won’t stop them either. Every Friday, their lunchbreak is the same.

Kyungsoo collapses onto the seat in front of Jongdae, minding the pile of documents next to him. The tray full of food clatters against the table, soup spilling over the edge of the bowl. “I don’t know. My dad said something, but I’ve been too busy these past few weeks I haven’t been able to think about anything else.”

Minseok hums, his black perm bopping up and down as he nods, understanding the feeling well — sacrificing his lunch for his newest project. “The next quarter’s marketing strategy, right?”

“You’re still working on it?” Jongdae, being the good friend he is, smiles sympathetically even when he can’t relate — being from the sales team, “When is the presentation?”

Kyungsoo shows a tight-lipped smile, “At one.” It’s quarter past twelve now.

“I’m sure you’ll do well”, Minseok glances up for the first time from his pile of papers, “And if you don’t — they won’t say anything to your face, at least.”

Kyungsoo laughs mouth full of water, as the honey-blond beta chokes in front of him, Minseok’s honesty as sudden as ever. It’s a bold statement, but true anyway.

Kyungsoo’s position as the son of their company’s chairman doesn’t exactly help the expectations he’s facing —or to say the lack of them. His status as an omega dubs to many as an impotency to do his job well, being born with a silver spoon and all.

Thus, it’s no surprise several people still believe he’s projected to be the next CMO in the following years because of his _daddy’s_ big heart. Four years ago, he was an intern at the marketing team, so Kyungsoo’s not sure what they’re thinking.

“I guess so.” He changes the topic, choosing to entertain the gossips and leave Minseok alone with his work, “What’s new? Any changes from last week?”

“Well, before you came, the car of Kimmistic’s youngest arose some debate. It’s here, but why is the question”, Chanyeol lowers his voice to a whisper as he leans closer, protecting the conspiracy.

“Are you sure it’s his car? As far as I remember, he works in HR or something — he has no reason to be here.”

Jongdae points his spoon towards Kyungsoo as he swallows, “That’s what I said!”

Chanyeol misses nearly Jongdae’s head with his exasperated raise of hands, “I could recognize Berry half-asleep and drunk. I can’t be wrong.”

“Berry?” Jongdae’s confusion is equal to Kyungsoo’s — after several years of friendship there’re times when they don’t get Chanyeol.

“A nickname for Strawberry?” The alpha glances between the two, desperate for support, “His car is red with black details, for god’s sake! Besides, Minseok, didn’t you say someone at the secretary office saw him with the big boss?”

Jongdae and Chanyeol collectively focus their attention to their oldest, the black-haired omega sitting at the end of the table, waiting for a tiebreaker. Kyungsoo side-eyes Chanyeol for the nickname he has given to his dad, before he too, connects his eyes with a clueless Minseok.

“What?”

“Nothing important”, Kyungsoo reassures Minseok, whose eyes waver, lost and alerted as a deer on the highway. He hasn’t listened to their conversation at all.

Kyungsoo slides his attention back to the other two, “I’m sure someone will tell us sooner than later what’s up. If not, I’ll ask dad.”

Chanyeol grumbles, but Kyungsoo tunes him out as he scrapes the rest of the broth into his mouth, swallowing fast as a message vibrates the phone on his tray, followed with multiple other notifications ringing out in the cafeteria.

“Sooner, it is.” There’s an impromptu company meeting scheduled on top of his own presentation, for the rest of the workers titled ‘Our future with Kimmistic’ — pretty self-explanatory.

His face recognition works seamlessly as Snapchat opens from where he left it open an hour ago. Out of pure habit, he checks the flashbacks, but wishes he didn’t the moment he registers the thumbnail.

As the video loads, Kyungsoo freezes, unable to think properly what to do. Fingers on the volume buttons a second too late, as the clip starts to play before he can turn down the sound. The conversation stops around him as if muted — the memories flooding back to his friends, as well — Chanyeol fogging the air with his pheromones, unconsciously.

“Has it already been three years?” The video and reactions catch Minseok’s attention as well. How can it not, when he’s the one Kyungsoo originally sent it to — in a desperate need for comfort and attention Kyungsoo only trusted Minseok, a fellow omega, to give him.

“Yeah — feels like a forever ago.”

Kyungsoo skips the rest of the videos and puts his phone away, not happy remembering his foolish past self — out in the pouring rain, crying for his broken heart simply because of his own miscalculation. The tenseness of his body doesn’t go under radar for either of the three.

“He’s alpha-scum, Kyungsoo. His behavior is unacceptable and you’re not the exception, no matter what you think.” Jongdae states firmly but knows better than to reach over the table to squeeze his hand.

Kyungsoo appreciates the meaning behind his words, as he does the warm blanket of pheromones Minseok and Chanyeol have wrapped him in, the alpha offering a sense of security while Minseok soothes his emotions.

“I know”, Kyungsoo whispers, nothing changing the fact he clung onto the relationship, knowing fully well it was way past being healthy. That’s his fault, but he has learned to keep it in.

When the time to be single came, a new Kyungsoo rose from the ashes, the real-life phoenix. Seeing the faults of their society first-handed when it comes to the way other genders treat omegas made him stronger and surer of his purpose. No omega should get trampled by alphas and think the things they say to manipulate are ‘normal’ or ‘expected’— the way Kyungsoo did when his _‘worthless hormones’_ weren’t enough to please an alpha.

The calendar on Kyungsoo’s phone reminds him of the upcoming event, breaking his reverie induced by the scents surrounding their table. It’s Kyungsoo’s time.

“Babe,” Chanyeol reveals his wide smile, earlier mood wiped away in an instant, both Minseok and Kyungsoo waiting for him to continue. He makes sure the message goes through to both of the omegas, “You’re going to kill it.”

“Thanks”, Kyungsoo is the only one to respond verbally, as Minseok hums, too immersed in his papers for anything else, not noticing when Kyungsoo stands up. Jongdae waves, his attention staying on his phone.

Chanyeol has never said it out loud how the subtle possession Kyungsoo and Minseok allow for him to have over them with the term ‘babe’ is a huge deal for him — Chanyeol’s imaginary tail wags time after time they react to it.

The same must apply to them too, for the alpha to instinctively know they get tickles in their stomach when Chanyeol calls them with the endearment. He would’ve stopped times ago, if there was any reason to — one word from the omegas and he obeys.

He’s their softie like that, being the leader of their friend group only in name. As a beta, Jongdae’s hands aren’t tied with the power dynamics, preferring to leave the responsibilities of leading ‘a pack’ to Chanyeol without a fuss.

“Yes, sir, both at the same time. We will talk about a marriage, not mentioning it’s arranged. Right how you wanted it?”

Kyungsoo’s intention wasn’t to stop by the break room, but he’s too intrigued to not listen. He might as well get some water for himself from the kitchen.

“Yes. I exchanged a few words with his father but forgot to ask if he knows. Do _you_ know?”

Both two male voices he has heard are unrecognizable, their volume faint and words hard for Kyungsoo to decipher. They must be at the very back of the room, so Kyungsoo deems it safe to walk into the kitchen — which is out of their sight unless they’re sitting in the middle of the break room — it being the hallway.

“I don’t, sir”, the man pauses as the floorboards wince under Kyungsoo’s weight. He continues right after, voice lowered, “We made sure the article has names, genders and groups in it, as requested.”

“Sounds good. You’ll be getting a call from me in three hours.”

Kyungsoo opens the fridge with forced calmness, the sound of papers shuffling and hitting the table ringing in his ears. A tall man comes into his peripheral vision as he reaches for the cold-water bottles.

Kyungsoo stubbornly keeps his eyes on the fridge and pretends he heard nothing. The alpha stands in the doorway — he might smell like cologne, but the way Kyungsoo’s hairs stand up on his nape is enough to tell he’s one. Eventually the man walks past ignoring him, expect for the eyes on the back of his head. A shiver creeps down Kyungsoo’s back.

As soon as the man is out of the door, Kyungsoo slams the fridge closed. His body flashes hot, knees weak, a reaction to the alpha’s mere presence. It makes him suddenly ill because of the spike of hormones in his system — only few alphas can cause that, even less without pheromones.

If Kyungsoo understood the previous conversation correctly, the arranged marriage isn’t consented by the omega — if he even knows about it. More so, if the alpha Kyungsoo briefly met uses his pheromones, the omega will be physically and mentally _unable_ to say no.

Arranged marriages are more common than what Kyungsoo’d like, but less problematic than the aggravated version; forced marriage. They are the real problem — the epitome of omega suppression, degrading their right to freedom. No matter how he thinks, the omega that the man he passed will marry, will be forced into it.

The whole situation leaves him frustrated and angry; it would’ve been better if he’d just passed by and never stopped by to listen. There’s nothing he can do than to carry on, spread awareness and the agenda that he is an omega, but as capable as any alpha and has the same rights.

Kyungsoo will make a change, his anger fueling him to reach higher, break through the expectations set for him. The presentation for the next quarter’s marketing strategy is the perfect place to begin his climb to the top of the hierarchy, to become the world’s first omega CEO, for starters.

αβΩ

Kyungsoo leans against the conference table at the front and smiles as everyone makes their way out of the meeting room. The sheen of sweat on his skin has dried, leaving behind a layer of stickiness — he’s glad the presentation is finally over.

The meeting ran overtime; otherwise, everything went like Kyungsoo wanted, making the time fly. He’s one report short of going home — on time for once — but director Mr. Lim is lingering behind, checking his mobile, as Kyungsoo patiently waits, keeping his expression as neutral as possible.

The company announcement must’ve ended a long time ago and Kyungsoo’s curious what’s the outcome: acquisition or no acquisition. Unlike Mr. Lim, he can’t check his phone, being younger and in a lower position, not wanting to come off as rude.

“So, it’s true…”, the old beta mumbles, stealing a glance at Kyungsoo, swiftly scrolling further down on whatever article he’s reading when he meets Kyungsoo’s eyes.

The reaction is familiar to Kyungsoo, it’s the same every time he catches someone red-handed speaking about him behind his back. It no longer phases him. Let people talk if they want to.

“Thank you, Kyungsoo, for the enlightening presentation”, the director’s sudden words remind Kyungsoo to keep his professional front up as Mr. Lim lifts his eyes from the phone in his hands, warm smile catching Kyungsoo off-guard, “Congratulations, too. The company should send you a ‘Thank You’- gift, although I’m sure Mr. Do has already done more than that.”

A puzzled expression takes over his professional smile as Kyungsoo ransacks his memory for something to explain this, his mind running blank. The beta offers no answers as he gathers his papers in all peacefulness, unaware of Kyungsoo’s confusion.

“Excuse me, sir, what are you referring to?” If Kyungsoo hasn’t magically managed to earn himself a promotion, this must be a mistake, a misunderstanding. What is there to be congratulated about?

“You don’t know?” The way his tone suggests Kyungsoo should know about what’s going on, is enough to tell him something is severely wrong. Mr. Lim is too suspicious to be simply misinformed, “Your engagement with Kim Jongin has been disclosed to the public, Kyungsoo.”

Kyungsoo’s smile drops, too shocked to be concerned for his façade. With two long strides he’s side-by-side with Mr. Lim, taking the phone out of his offering hands. The photo of himself at one of last year’s many galas greets him, accompanied with a one of Mr. Kim at the same event, clad in a black suit, black hair slicked back, his cold aura accented with his strong eyebrows.

_’The biggest secret romance of the decade: The heart-throb alpha heir of Kimmistic has finally settled down with the semi-influencer omega-son of Do Electronics! All the details you need to know of Kim Jongin and Do Kyungsoo’s surprise engagement that led to the acquirement of Do Electronics — here.’_

Mr. Lim laughs at the absurd title, Kyungsoo with him albeit without any meaning. No matter where he goes on the news’ page, pictures of them pop up, articles getting more exaggerated as he passes them. Picture after picture, the figure of Kim Jongin haunts Kyungsoo further.

Several angles and outfits later, it’s no use denying; Jongin is the alpha from the break room. Kyungsoo knows it from the tremble of his muscles, his labored breathing — the fight of flight response. Kyungsoo is the omega of the forced marriage and he’s on the verge of throwing up.

He has been raised to face situations like this, learning from a young age how things work when it comes to positions similar to his and of Kim Jongin’s. No matter what, it’s his job to keep the smile bright and stop his arms from shaking as he hands the phone to its owner.

“You meant this?” Kyungsoo fights his body to relax, feigning embarrassment as he thanks his dysfunctional pheromones for not revealing his true emotions, “I didn’t remember it was scheduled to came out _today_ — sometimes I forget people didn’t know already.”

He adds a warm laugh and forces his sweetest, happiest pheromones to surround the two of them, to charm the old man and to soothe himself artificially. Kyungsoo’s not sure should he celebrate his nonexistent pheromones in this situation.

As he expected, Mr. Lim swoons at Kyungsoo’s cute omega display in front of him, a rare event, disregarding his previous doubtfulness. Kyungsoo’s chest twinges at his heartfelt smile, full of sincere excitement. “In that case, I’ll stop bothering you now. I’m sure you have places to be on this important day.”

“You could say that.” Truth, for once. An urgent call — and that damn report.

They walk side by side to the door, exchanging quick goodbyes before Kyungsoo runs off, the phone out of his pocket as soon as the director is behind him. His goal is the bathroom on the third floor as it’s basically unused and isolated enough for Kyungsoo to break down.

Kyungsoo’s smart; connecting the dots without problem. Their company’s acquirement, Kim Jongin’s car, his alleged meeting with Kyungsoo’s dad and the conversation Kyungsoo happened to overhear. It all confirms the news he prays to be fake, despite knowing deep inside of him: he won the lottery of living in his personal hell.

Kyungsoo dials the number under his finger as soon as the bathroom door is within his sight. He has gathered curious eyes to himself with his speed-walking, but there’s a limit to his capability of suppressing the emotions suffocating him. Rumors, of his behavior after the ‘engagement’, are something he can’t afford to cause.

At the fifth ring, the call picks up. “He-“, Kyungsoo locks the door of the filthy bathroom and slams his back against it, legs finally giving out under him.

“Dad, why would you do this to me?” Kyungsoo sniffs, the tears threatening to fall sooner than expected. He hates anger like this, pitiful frustration, “Why? Fully aware this is the last thing I’d ever want to happen to me. After everything I have done to progress omegas’ rights, this is what I’m rewarded with. Why would you want to hurt me?”

Kyungsoo tries to keep the volume of his trembling voice low, blinking fanatically to clear his vision. There’s an expectant silence at the other end of the line, waiting for him yell the first wave of hurt out of his system.

“Director Lim showed me the news — do you have any idea how humiliating that is? For your information, I smiled and pretended everything was fine when I wanted to puke because that’s what I’ve always done”, Kyungsoo gasps for air, crying clogging his throat “And I understand, but this time my _freedom_ , my right to love has been taken away for some fucking business deal!”

His dad coos, comforting him the best he can over the phone, making him despise the tears more. It’s unfair how his anger, the black rage in the pit of his stomach, is unable to scorch the room around him and his dad at the end of the line because of his pathetic weeping.

“Sweetie, the plan wasn’t this; you were never supposed to hear through someone else. If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have agreed, believe me.”

The words flip a switch in Kyungsoo, as suddenly as the realization hits, his tears stop running, frustration molding into indifference. Kyungsoo was supposed to be married off, anyways — it doesn’t matter what way he heard.

His dad continues comforting him but Kyungsoo doesn’t care to listen, preferring to end the call. Using the sink as a leverage, he pulls himself up, facing the mirror. His face swollen and blotches of red decorate his nose, cheeks, and eyes. 

There’s fury left in him, enough to power Seoul for a year, shining in his eyes and making them inky black — Kyungsoo finds he likes the look. He _knows_ he won’t go down without a proper fight.

αβΩ

Jongin halts his steps as he understands the reason this conversation must be whispered in an empty hallway. _Do Kyungsoo_. The biggest secret of his life, the largest risk to their company.

“Can you repeat that to me?”, he checks around them for unneeded pairs of ears before focusing his eyes on the lean and curly-haired secretary of his mother, who goes by the name Yixing — one of the few trusted with the knowledge of his situation.

“Mr. Do has been raising a fuss with signing the papers. Numerously, he has threatened to talk to the press about his alleged mistreatment and is adamant on not following through with the contract”, he re-tells the news, voice lowered, answering the alpha’s stare with same intensity, trusting Jongin to not shoot the messenger.

Yixing has been around long enough to be well-versed with the ins and outs of their family, being acquainted with Jongin’s oldest sister from a young age. They have a weird relationship of being almost family, but still maintaining the professional distance.

“You’re not mad”, Yixing states after a long silence, surprising the alpha.

“How did you know?” The wall made of window behind the secretary reflects perfectly Jongin’s face — expressionless as ever before. Thanks to the scent blockers, he doesn’t smell like his emotions, either.

Though, Yixing is correct. He’s impatient if anything; he has waited for his arranged marriage to happen his whole life and finally it’s within his grasp. The Do family had already agreed on the contract he and his mom tediously prepared, leaving the marriage papers to be the last thing between them and the finish line. For Kyungsoo to rebel now, after months of preparation — Jongin is speechless.

It’s not realistic to expect the same sort of dedication from Kyungsoo, as from Jongin, arranged marriage not being in his plans from childhood. Regret is understandable too, as the small crumbs of information Jongin has gathered on Kyungsoo, it’s obvious this is not the life the omega wanted.

“You have emotions, Jongin, even when you’re reserved. It just takes time to learn how to read you.”

Time is the problem usually, too much work to invest into Jongin — he’s aware of the stark difference between his personality with people close to him and with rest of the human population, but there’s not much he can do about it.

Being stoic has its perks, one look from him and people know when to turn around. Yixing watches silently as the newest intern scrambles around the corner, choosing to find another route to wherever. Jongin waits a few beats of silence, clearing his throat.

“Does mom- Did you tell her about Kyungsoo?”

“I didn’t — my instructions involve only informing you weekly of the situation. Mrs. Kim made it clear: you are in charge.”

“I do realize that”, Jongin glances down onto the pile of folders he’s carrying. He’s not _extremely_ busy right now; the developing team won’t need his materials until tomorrow. The burden of pleasing his mother weighs on his shoulders a lot more than carrying the entire team’s progress alone, “When does she have some free time?”

There’s etching doubt inside of him. Although she has made him the alpha-in-charge of his own wedding — leaving the responsibility of figuring out the ceremony to him — he’s sure his power doesn’t extend to calling it off. Thanks to the omega, nothing is going as planned, and if he has truly changed his mind, it’s not right to force him into the marriage.

“She’s having her lunch now, but she has time to see you shortly after.”

A part of him is sure he’s making a mistake and he should just suck it up and do as his mom wishes, as logically thinking, her instructions are right, most likely. Being in charge entails following the rules, as much as it does questioning them for a better result.

Jongin doesn’t remember when he has last disobeyed — anyone, for that matter.

“Tell her to call for me when she’s ready”, he swipes away the hairs in front of his eyes. He should make some progress with the wedding while he waits, “Can you tell me where you got your wedding rings?”

αβΩ

“Jongin, I thought you’d remember we can’t talk about Kyungsoo in the office.”

The red carpet under his feet suddenly seems interesting. Jongin is and always will be weak while facing his mom, easily ashamed of himself as she’s the person he looks up the most.

“I- You’re right”, he lifts his eyes again, easily slipping into his shell, hiding behind his stoic exterior.

He hadn’t intended to speak with her at the office either way but Jongin guesses she misunderstood his request. The message, _‘Come over for a dinner. Let’s talk at home.’_ was enough for him to realize the mistake, using an hour of his day to drive himself back and forth through the city.

“People are obsessed with the news of your marriage — some are upset because you’re no longer in their grasp, some overjoyed, and some, the most dangerous, are waiting for the _smallest_ crumble in your façade to spread rumors.” Jongin whips his head towards his dad as he calmly strides past.

The oldest Kim heads over to the massive baroque desk, Jongin’s mother sitting on the other side of it. Their matching golden rings click, catching Jongin’s attention as his mom rests her hand against his father’s that are messaging her shoulders.

It’s the image of marriage he and his sisters grew up with, Jongin hardly accepting the fact his won’t be equal to theirs, most likely. Jongin recognizes the envy coiling inside of him, the invisible force reminding him of the reason he’s here. Acknowledging the feeling has usually allowed him to move on, but now he’s _so close_ he can’t let it go.

“There’re ears everywhere, but I’m sure you have already learned that.” The words of his beta father always manage to soothe Jongin as his expectations are a lot lower than his wife’s.

With careful consideration, Jongin crosses his legs, leaning his back against the soft velvet cushion behind his back. He has no reason to stall the conversation any longer, the expectant silence of the room pressuring him.

“I heard Kyungsoo has been disobeying the contract”, the start is simple, leading them to the main point. He thinks through of his choice of words with caution, “The uproar he has caused is endangering the secrecy of the arrangement, the contract isn’t being followed and soon, if this goes on, it’ll become a forced marriage. Thus, I contemplated, whether we should draw ourselves from the agreement.”

His mom’s brows burrow as she organizes the papers on the desk, the men in the room waiting for her reaction. Jongin’s dad clearly has an opinion too, but he has learned long time ago not to butt into Mrs. Kim’s business.

“Dear,” she straightens the folds of her purple pantsuit and swipes her curls behind her left ear, revealing her stern expression, “I’m proud of you for your thoughtfulness towards Kyungsoo, but I’m going to remind you — there’re not many choices for you.”

Her eyes tell what her words don’t. She hates being the bad guy as she keeps her resolve — sometimes it’s the mother who must make nasty decisions for the safety of her children. For that, Jongin respects her immensely, seeing it’s his place to obey.

Omegas like Kyungsoo, with specific hormonal deficiencies are rare — finding him in the corporate world, in the same age-range and country is close to a miracle. Despite the time and money invested into the research, nothing has come out of it; making Kyungsoo Jongin’s only salvation from going to the grave with his scent blockers, forever unable to smell anything outside his own home.

“Don’t be too discouraged, as after you asked to meet me, I contacted Mr. Do, pocking around a little.” She tilts her head and kisses the hand on her shoulder lightly, always step ahead of Jongin, “Kyungsoo is upset for a reason. He found out through the _article_ he’s engaged. For someone who places great importance on omegas’ freedom and is an advocate for them — that’s sure to cause some dismay.”

It’s as if the room with walls covered by books zooms out and he comprehends how self-centered his worldview is. Nobody deserves to hear life-changing news like that — he has no idea what to say than, “How- how did that happen?”

“Miscommunication, dear. Unfortunate and usually avoidable, but not always. Kyungsoo’s father assumed that the signing day would be the day we’d ask you two about this, and that the article would be just about the acquirement, to name a few. This is just to show how important it is to be clear with your words at all times.”

It’s as if Jongin is back in the kindergarten, being taught how to communicate all over again. These are not topics his mom should lecture her 25-year-old son about, but the reality is that he needs to make all the basic mistakes now, when he’s not in charge of the entirety of their company.

“What now?” His question hangs in the air as his parents exchange glances. Asking for help doesn’t come easy, stinging quite the bit his alpha-side, too, as it’s his and his soon-to-be omega’s wedding he can’t apparently handle.

“You’re dependent on Kyungsoo already, for he’s your lone chance to recover. Adjustment takes time, always, and we can expect it to take more with him. The last thing he needs is the pressure from us to agree. Forced marriage will never be the answer, so he has to come to the conclusion on his own.” Mrs. Kim sighs as she stands up, head shorter than Jongin’s father. “Keep organizing the ceremony, we can cancel at all times, but we can’t magically invent it from scratch.”

Jongin hums, agreeing whole-heartedly, pushing himself up from the deep armchair as the pair round the writing desk. His mother is right, as always.

Jongin has to get used to giving Kyungsoo time and space, rarely otherwise in a position where his company is refused. He’ll have to proceed with caution not to lose the gem Kyungsoo is, unable to afford being a bad husband before they’re officially together.

“Whatever he chooses, I’ll accept it”, Jongin states, as he waits for his parents to catch up to him at the door. He’s words ring true, as he couldn’t live with himself knowing he’s satisfied at the cost of Kyungsoo’s happiness.

His dad ruffles the black mop on top of Jongin’s head — overgrown at his nape and the fringe covering his eyes —, offering a smile that has caused the crow’s-feet around his eyes. His mother presses her warm hand against his shoulder, proud of him, adding an encouraging pat on his back before she walks past into the living room.

“There’s a feast waiting for us, boys. Hurry up before Raon and Rahee eat it all.”

Jongin scrambles past his parents into the dining room full of life, in an urging need of niece and nephew therapy.

αβΩ

The place reeks of a strong alpha, the scent oh black coffee an libraries hitting against Kyungsoo’s face, nearly melting his brains when the door opens — luckily, he’s mentally prepared for it. He recognizes Mrs. Kim from several articles as she greets them and welcomes Kyungsoo and his parents in. They’re not her pheromones, obviously.

She backtracks and reveals her youngest standing further in the hallway, in a full suit, adjusting his shirt buttons before he leaves the highest open, letting bronze skin of his chest peak through. It’s a totally different experience seeing him in real life than stalking his photos from Instagram — Kyungsoo is still far from comprehending _this_ is his fiancé.

“Do Kyungsoo, Mr. and Mrs. Do.” He nods to all of them individually, meeting their eyes dead-on, his hand guiding the way to place their coats. “Pleasure to meet you formally. You can call me Jongin.”

Kyungsoo understands the words are mostly to him, not needing to look back into his chocolate-brown eyes to know. They hold no malice, full of cold, separated, professionalism. They’re on the alpha’s territory now, no question, and they’re here to do business.

“Likewise, Jongin. Kyungsoo is fine, too”, he offers a smile, remembering his manners. He takes his shoes off, acknowledging Mrs. Kim properly as he leaves his light-gray coat to the coatrack. It’s not often he uses it, today falling into the pressure of meeting even some of the standards of a future heir’s husband.

Mr. Kim is already sitting on a black leather couch next to a coffee table in the living room, a splitting image of Jongin, next to him a place reserved for Mrs. Kim. There’re seats set out for Kyungsoo and his parents, facing Jongin across the table with copies of the contract in front of him on the coffee table. 

Kyungsoo from two weeks ago wouldn’t have believed his eyes if he saw the situation, he’s in now. The rebelling he used a lot of his energy ended up being futile, as he soon realized; a story can have only a limited number of endings.

In his case, his pride eliminated a lot of them — he’d never allow himself to be subjected to the hate and pity he’d receive if they broke off their engagement. Reluctantly, after several discussions with Jongdae about social media reactions, with Minseok of his feelings and random drunk talks with Chanyeol, he accepted it himself, too.

Jongin is recognized for his blank dating history, is god-like in the eyes of the people reading the headline posters — the fault of their separation would lie in Kyungsoo without doubt. He’d be ‘not good enough’, ‘unable to handle _the_ Kim Jongin’ and an ‘useless omega’. Things his pride doesn’t like.

After the realization, his choice wasn’t hard. Besides, Kyungsoo is not too hung up on the idea of ‘love’ after his past, surely surviving without it easily. Jongin is good to look at and popular, which is only an advantage for Kyungsoo and his fame. The younger is professional, disciplined, and low-key in his personal life, from what Kyungsoo has heard, so he’s sure he’ll manage unless the alpha fucks things up.

Jongin gestures a lot with his hands as he revises the content of the papers out loud, Kyungsoo tuning in only at the end of his monologue. Doesn’t matter, though, for he has memorized it. 

“Do you have any terms or conditions you want to add?” Jongin lifts his piercing stare without any warning, catching Kyungsoo’s eyes on him. The alpha may be younger than Kyungsoo, but he’s the reliable one out of the two of them. It’s not Kyungsoo reading the papers.

“I have one request”, Kyungsoo speaks up, pressing his interlocked hands against his thighs, focusing his eyes somewhere over Jongin’s right shoulder, to an impressionist painting there. He has no clue where the idea stems from; is it revenge or his needier omega-side, “Every month, for the first year, I want a dinner made by Jongin — to learn more of each other.”

“Sweetie…”, his father frantically conveys a message of horror with the look in his eyes to Kyungsoo’s mom, before frowning apologetically to Jongin, alarmed for the consequences of Kyungsoo’s abrupt demand.

One glance over to his right, to his mom, is enough to tell him he’s not going to hear the end of this when they arrive at home. If everything goes like usual, she’s gathering her best sarcastic remarks in the car already, preparing in silence until she releases them when Kyungsoo takes the first step inside the house.

It’s not much better with older the Kims, as both look more concerned than a minute ago. Their attention is on the youngest alpha, waiting for his decision, who continues staring blankly at the omega in front of him. Kyungsoo wiggles his toes at the attention, not thinking his request would demand this amount of consideration.

“You should note that I don’t cook,” Jongin stalls, squaring up his shoulders and waiting until Kyungsoo lifts his gaze to meet his, “but for the sake of our marriage I can make an exception.”

“Great”, Kyungsoo gulps, eyes back on the contract, thankful his half-assed comment didn’t cause more drama. He is grateful Jongin is somewhat nice, as he agreed to what was Kyungsoo’s sudden urge to be pampered, making him slightly giddy.

“Let me go write a new copy of the contract as you begin planning the ceremony”, Mrs. Kim stands up and gathers the papers from them. “I’ll add your request, Kyungsoo.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Kim.”

“Oh, you can call me ‘mom’. We’re family now.”

The whole room turns to gawk at her, caught off-guard. She disregards the confusion with a wave of her hand and disappears deeper into the apartment.

“So… the wedding?” Kyungsoo speaks up as he feels obligated to participate, drawing the attention to himself, “When will it be held?”

“18th of next month at the Lotus hall — we’ve already reserved it and pushed forward some of the planning.” Jongin reaches for his laptop from the top of the cabinet behind him, opening the device with muscle memory, “I figured you’d want to voice your opinion on the theme and decorations, as well as the food, so I made some suggestions that I’d like for you to look over.”

Jongin turns the screen away from himself, surprising Kyungsoo and his parents with the extent of his research as he has prepared a PowerPoint for Kyungsoo to scroll through. The accurate information and preciseness tickle Kyungsoo’s perfectionist tendencies in the best way, pulling him to the edge of his seat, for a closer look.

Jongin has organized his ideas under four big categories, each filled with decorations, menus, and color themes to match. Simply from the titles, Kyungsoo has a feeling which he’ll choose. Nature would otherwise be good, but in October it’s a bit hard to achieve, while traditional eastern is simply not his style.

“I’d suggest combining the black room with the golden lights of the dark theme and the table settings from classical western. It’s extravagant, but not over the top — not for you.”

Kyungsoo can instinctively feel Jongin staring at the top of his head, “Does it have to be extravagant?”

“You don’t want to expose the… nature of our marriage, am I correct?” Kyungsoo confirms, receiving nods from both of the Kims in the room, “Jongin, you’re young, rich and handsome. Your long-awaited wedding is expected to be big, lavish, _expensive_. People must think; ‘Oh, they’re willing to spend so much on that wedding, they’re never separating.’

“We’re not convincing enough to try the ‘so in love we want to keep it minimal and simple’-approach. Especially after our engagement was made so big of a deal — our agendas wouldn’t align.”

“That’s a bold statement, but you’re more than right”, Mr. Kim chuckles, aging backwards as his eyes crease, “I’m confident you’ll save us many times with your experience in social media.”

Kyungsoo thanks him, bashful, as his intentions are impure. He feels awful lying to so many people in general but has to do everything he can to stand equal to the top-class alpha his fiancé is. It’ll be a hell of a fight to prove he’s not the trophy-wife the public thinks he is, but luckily Kyungsoo is prepared.

“I’d like to be in charge of the menu, and I have a friend, Junmyeon, who could make our suits, if you don’t mind”, he scrolls through the slides to see if Jongin had said anything about them, his mom perking up at the name.

“A great idea, Kyungsoo! Jun is so talented, and it would close the circle. How didn’t I come up with that?” Kyungsoo’s mom has always adored Junmyeon, his mom being her best friend. She turns to explain to Jongin, “Junmyeon’s mother sew my wedding dress years ago, it’ll be a tradition.”

There’s no way Jongin can refuse after seeing her happiness — Kyungsoo thought this’d happen. With small steps, Kyungsoo’ll try to integrate himself into a meaningful position. It’ll be _Kyungsoo’s_ friend, who made their suits, _Kyungsoo’s_ plan for the menu. He’s not just a pretty omega next to Jongin.

“You can do that. In return, I’ll take care of the rings.” Kyungsoo makes the mistake of meeting the alpha’s stoic face, surprised it hasn’t changed from stoic professionalism, “Let’s keep the guest list small — the immediate circle of friends only —, I have already received the list of your relatives attending.”

Jongin’s mom returns with the new contracts, ending the silence stretching after Jongin’s words as she pushes them under their noses, “The grooms’ signatures first, parents’ then and swap.”

Kyungsoo signs without much thought, already past the point of return to his old life, and watches as his parents do the same, repeating it once more with his own copy of the papers.

The air around him is still full of the stale scent of Jongin, stuck in the furniture and walls, but nothing of it tells Kyungsoo how he’s feeling now. The older Kims are relieved, as are his own parents, though their scents have a hint of sadness in them too as they lead the way from the living room, their visit nearing its end.

If Kyungsoo’s pheromones worked, he’d smell nervous. They’re already back at the hallway as Kyungsoo previously continued to miss his chance — partly because he has no idea how to bring this issue up.

“Mrs. Kim”, Kyungsoo rises his hand after hesitation, wanting her attention, but catching Jongin’s as well, “No- mom, I have to talk about the engagement on Instagram and I need a picture of me and Jongin — would you want to take the photo?”

“Of course, with pleasure!” She’s overjoyed, taking the phone out of Kyungsoo’s grasp, pushing him towards her son, “I’m so touched, you asked me — Jongin would never.”

“Wait,” Kyungsoo’s dad makes Kyungsoo stop awkwardly between him and Jongin as he tries to find his phone. “I want a picture too.”

Kyungsoo ignores him, walking to Jongin’s side. He’s taller than what Kyungsoo estimated, the two of them awkwardly standing side-by-side while Kyungsoo’s mom takes over the role of the photographer from his dad.

“What do you have in mind?” Jongin’s stare drills into Kyungsoo’s soul, waiting for further instructions. As Kyungsoo swipes his stare to the nearest wall, to think, Jongin makes his own decision, “I’ll take this off, then.”

Kyungsoo watches enough to see him tossing his suit jacket to the backrest of the couch, carefully rolling his sleeves to his elbows. He doesn’t _stare_ — he observes. They’re already in front of a plain wall, which is good, but the harder part is to figure out how they won’t come off like they met today for the first time ever — which is the truth.

“We have to look like we’re in love, close to each other — something like a hug? Whatever you’re comfortable with essentially.”

“I’m comfortable with a hug”, he breaks Kyungsoo’s bubble of personal space with a singular step, face close enough to count his eyelashes, opening his arms for Kyungsoo to take the last step in.

Kyungsoo can’t choose whether it’s for better or worse their parents are present as this unfolds. There’s no backing out, so Kyungsoo wraps uncertainly his arms around the alpha’s neck. He takes a moment to decide what to do with his head, not standing the eye contact, choosing to hide his face by pressing it lightly on Jongin’s shoulder. It’s broad and muscular, a lot more comfortable than he thought, as it’s not overly bulky or anything.

There’re two warm hands resting against the small of his back, their heat transferring onto Kyungsoo’s skin through his black turtleneck. Kyungsoo supposes the alpha’s hands could feel caging, but instead they’re comforting and loose enough for Kyungsoo to back out — if he wanted to. Jongin ignites a gasp out of Kyungsoo when he suddenly pulls their bodies tight together, the grip unexpectedly tightening around his midsection.

Kyungsoo leans back, taking a tight hold of Jongin with his hands thanks to his reflexes, meeting the younger’s eyes in confusion. It’s making him anxious, the way there’s no air between them and how he can feel the difference in their bodies. Jongin is full muscle underneath his clothes when Kyungsoo’s not.

“Have you ever seen couple hug like that?”

“Right.” Kyungsoo breaks the eye contact and hangs his head, closing his eyes to pull himself together. The pulse on Jongin’s neck, against his palm, is calming with how steady it is, reminding him Jongin is a human too.

He wishes he could understand what Jongin is feeling in a way or another. His face is a clean canvas, blank, almost arrogant in its superiority, like his scent. The alpha has a distinct smell on him — a mix of coffee-like pheromones and cologne—, but it’s not only the emotions that are missing; the scent itself isn’t fresh, meaning, Jongin is not releasing his pheromones _at all_.

Kyungsoo had suspected that was the case since the brief meeting in the break room, momentarily confused by the scent surrounding his apartment. For now, Kyungsoo is fine with the knowledge he has: Jongin has pheromones but he’s blocking them. If Jongin asks why Kyungsoo doesn’t have pheromones, then Kyungsoo’ll ask too.

His reverie breaks as Jongin takes his right hand, the one resting in the juncture of the alpha’s neck, into his own and presses his lips against the top of Kyungsoo’s head. They stay in that position for a fleeting moment, a stretch in time and space, before it shatters as Jongin pulls away.

Kyungsoo needs a moment to call himself back, to return to his senses. He was safe in the arms of Jongin and their future looked promising from there. In that tiny moment he felt so small, fragile, and so, _so_ treasured, it wouldn’t have taken more than few seconds until he’d have reached full submission, the nirvana of every omega.

αβΩ

**_kyung.do.soo_ ** _Hello everyone. Today I want to address the topic many of you already know of, which was the reason for my abrupt media-silence, as well. I’ve been wondering these past weeks what to say to you, what to keep within closed doors. I understand the position I am in, whishing nothing can erase the years of work I’ve put into omegas’ rights. Even more, I always wished to keep my relationships from continuous scrutiny of the public. Thus, I’ve decided I will keep my marriage out of social media to an extent. Still, I hope you’ll welcome this man warmly. He is Kim Jongin, my fiancé, the alpha I’m going to marry in a month’s time. He’s considerate, as he’s kind, and he’ll take a good care of me for years to come. I’ll stand equal next to him, my head held high, as we embrace our relationship, supporting each other when the times are hard and sharing our joy when we’re the happiest we’ve ever been._

 **_zkdlin_ ** _No one will ever be fully worthy of you, Kyungsoo, but I’m glad it’s me you chose to share your future with — I can’t wait to be the only alpha in the world who can introduce himself as the husband of Do Kyungsoo, as there isn’t a greater honor than that_

αβΩ

Kyungsoo makes his decision in a split-second. The thought has accumulated throughout the day, somewhere deep down in his consciousness, besides, they’re now _married_.

The thought first popped into his head when he arrived at the empty wedding reception with his family, both he and Jongin bare-faced and barely awake. They were whipped away to go over the ceremony, once more, walking back and forth the black hall as staff took care of placing every flower arrangement to their places, folding napkins, and distributing cutleries to each seat in a precise order.

At first, he thought the weird atmosphere was an effect of the tight timeline and the amount of work they needed to do, but Kyungsoo didn’t pay much attention, not until the stylists arrived. His face needed more work than Jongin’s — Kyungsoo’s eyebags like bruises around his eyes — redeeming himself with his hair that had settled during the first hours, unlike Jongin’s bedhead.

The makeup artists, stylists and hairdressers used hours on brushing, blending, and correcting until their appearances were up to par with the rest of the place. There, as they buzzed around the two of them, it clicked, clear as a day, it was _Kim Jongin’s_ wedding, with this omega he chose. Kyungsoo regarded and talked to as if he’s purely lucky to be wedded to Jongin. The second time the idea came up.

The third push is the final, tilting him into making his choice. Jongin glows in front of him, picture perfect in his fitted suit, golden threads woven by hand into the black fabric, forming the most complex patterns like fireworks in the night sky. His honey-tan skin is accented in the warm light the candles and fairy lights offer, golden makeup making his eyes sparkle.

The ceremony has finished — they’re now lawfully married, belonging to each other — the audience waits with a bathed breath. The alpha is composed as ever before, the smallest frown on his forehead as Kyungsoo pulls apart their interlocked fingers, Kyungsoo’s hand being the only sweating. He drops his eyes from Jongin’s and steps forward.

_Jongin truly is a masterpiece_ , he muses, as he slides his hand onto the back of Jongin’s head, hand prickling against the fresh undercut. The other finds its place on the younger’s chest when he fits his lips against Jongin’s. It’s not magical — like his parents told it would be when he was a child — but Kyungsoo doesn’t regret it, now at least, not when Jongin relaxes, soon enough participating in the kiss.

Time stops existing when the taller presses his chest against Kyungsoo’s, forcing Kyungsoo to move his hand around the alpha’s waist. Jongin’s hands slide easily on his silk tuxedo, moving to hold onto his hips — expensive cologne surrounding them like a cloud, sealing them into their own bubble.

Kyungsoo has no energy to fight his submissive nature in the younger’s arms, even if his original intention was to prove Jongin is _his_ , not the other way around, while solving the problem of what to do when they’re expected to kiss. Jongin is strong and sturdy when Kyungsoo removes himself from the alpha’s soft lips, clinging onto his neck for support, fingers treading coal-colored strands.

“That works too.” Jongin gently touches Kyungsoo’s head with his nose, hand offering a light caress to his side before separating their bodies — the room full of guests waiting for them to finish. Jongin truly knows how to work the audience to his favor.

‘Alphas are born leaders’ is a rule their society keeps believing in — Jongin the embodiment of it. He’s calm and collected, as they make their way down the altar, his every move from his posture to his expression regulated, as if nothing happened. His arm crossed with Kyungsoo’s, is guiding them with intent past the round white tables full of people, confidence oozing from his strides leading them to the room on the right for their reception.

They have a few minutes to gather themselves, to have time together before their parents open the dam of congratulations from their families and friends. The air is colder on this side, Jongin and he the only ones present — as it’s for the relaxed side of the wedding; dancing, drinking, and mingling.

Kyungsoo is on the fence whether he made a mistake or not, truly having no idea what Jongin thought of his kiss under all the pretending. It’s not like he can just ask; _Hey, can you rate the kiss, was it a solid eight?_ Though, he wonders — will it even matter? Kyungsoo and Jongin are barely more than business partners, and as it looks like Kyungsoo’s won’t be marrying anyone after today, he has no entitlement to spend his time worrying about Jongin when he could take the most of his lavish party to compensate the end of his sad love-life.

The usual rhythm of Mrs. Kim’s high heels against the silvery, marble-like concrete is a signal for Kyungsoo to step onto the alpha’s side, forgetting his worries, just as Jongin’s nuclear family comes into view. For them, they don’t have to pretend.

“My boys, my pretty boys”, Jongin’s mom grabs them both into her arms with incredible strength for someone her size, “Thank you.”

She whispers the words so no one else hears, Kyungsoo understanding the weight and meaning immediately. Mr. Kim is more reserved, kind smile on his lips as he congratulates the two of them, Jongin’s older sisters following right behind, less introverted.

“Our youngest is so big already! It’s like yesterday when you were born”, Kyungsoo is yet to recognize which sister is which, so he he’s fine being ignored, “Finally put those looks into good use to catch Kyungsoo.”

“You better behave yourself Nini — remember to offer Kyungsoo some of your ice cream, too.”

“Sis, it was ten years ago — _ten_.” Jongin and his sister’s intense stare-down stretches, Kyungsoo feeling like he’s intruding. He has so many questions.

“Okay, okay, let’s move on”, the unoccupied sister drags both of them in front of Kyungsoo, taking his hands into theirs, “Kyungsoo, please put up with Jongin. He’s moody, and whines a ton, but remind yourself that it is the same person who won The Most Handsome Man in Seoul thrice — it’ll make you feel better.”

“I- I’ll do my best”, Kyungsoo desperately screams for help with his eyes from Jongin. Are they talking about the same Jongin?

“Mom and dad, idiots, Kyungsoo’s family is waiting”, Jongin’s emotionless words urge Mrs. Kim to lead their family away, giving Kyungsoo’s family space to move closer.

Both he and Jongin understand the looks his parents are signaling to them, Kyungsoo’s dad more dismayed than his mom after the impromptu PDA at the altar. They’re fortunate his parents can’t say anything out of the norm out loud as Jongin’s relatives are listening right behind — unaware of the ‘arranged’ part of their marriage.

Kyungsoo has to remind Seungsoo of that, as the beta looks like he’s going to steal his little brother away any minute as he and Jongin rearrange themselves, sides touching as they interlock their arms, Kyungsoo leaning his carefully styled head on Jongin — strengthening their make believe.

Jongin’s extended family get Kyungsoo embarrassed in nanoseconds, all of them cooing and fawning over him like he’s the eighth wonder of the world. His own relatives are humbler and more reserved than Jongin’s both in their attitude as in appearances, little dull in comparison — partly because Jongin’s entire lineage is basically full of alphas when a large portion are betas in Kyungsoo’s family.

“Babe!” Chanyeol sprints to sweep Kyungsoo in a hug the moment it’s his turn, “Look at you, so stunning.”

Kyungsoo preens, his face pressed against the alpha’s chest, relaxing in his comforting and homey scent. Chanyeol has always had an antennae for what to say to Kyungsoo, to make him feel better and it’s hardly ever wrong.

“Chanyeol, let go of him, his _husband_ is staring. Congrats, Soo”, Jongdae appears into Kyungsoo’s sight, pulling the helm of the big guy’s jacket. As soon as Kyungsoo is free from the alpha’s grasp, he checks on Jongin, the alpha staring him down, his face zeroed of all unnecessary emotions. Kyungsoo should explain.

“Jongin, as you remember — here’s Chanyeol, Jongdae and Minseok”, Kyungsoo cast a look to Jongin, to stay in his role, still pointing them out.

“Babe, don’t worry, me and Jongin are cool, I approve of him.” The alphas shake hands, Chanyeol purposefully teasing the younger.

“What Chanyeol meant to say, is that he calls both of us — Kyungsoo and I — as ‘babes’ platonically, right?” Minseok slips past Kyungsoo, to under Chanyeol’s arm, smiling to Jongin, “Nice to meet you, Mr. Kim and the new Mr. Kim.”

“Nice to meet you too, Minseok, Jongdae”, Jongin smiles to them out of politeness, watching as the beta hounds the two out of the way, smile dropping, making the following sentence have a cynical tone, “Lively friends you have.”

“Sorry, they came like that — no returns allowed”, Kyungsoo mumbles, eyes on the next pair coming towards them. Jongin’s friends, this time.

αβΩ

Purple Calla Lily symbolizes faithfulness, rebirth and resurrection, named after the Greek word for beautiful, shade of purple so deep the hue is closer to black in the hall’s makeshift starry sky. Kyungsoo insisted on having them and Jongin can understand why.

The trumpet-like flowers mingle well within various other flowers in their arrangements, between jars of water with floating candles, black, golden, and see-through stones glittering on the tables. Their wedding is a feast for the eyes, if not for the heart.

Sehun’s face catches Jongin’s attention across the room, a cunning smirk on the younger alpha’s lips. His friend was painfully obvious with his suggesting gazes and wordings even after all the times Jongin warned him before-hand to behave — still his performance was better than Baekhyun’s. 

Jongin is comfortable sitting at the biggest table straight across their altar, having grown up being the center of attention, in middle of the stares, and despite his fears Kyungsoo wasn’t bad either — until Baekhyun completely ignored him.

Thanks to the beta’s unbelievably shit ability to lie, they had agreed that he’ll say no lies during their reception to not cause any suspicion but the older took it a step too far by not saying anything to the other husband, who’s been stiff ever since then.

“It’s time for our dance”, Jongin speaks up for the first time in a while, startling Kyungsoo and popping the bubble of thoughts he was in. The omega’s eyebrows furrow as his plump lips part, tongue darting out to wet them.

It’s like a fever-dream, the way their lips molded against each other, so soft but wanton. Kyungsoo surprised him, for sure, as he himself has been careful not to cross any lines whatsoever — in the fear of scaring the older away. This new side of the older is unexpected after he has been only reserved and cautious around Jongin. The more he thinks about it, the more irrational it becomes as Kyungsoo hasn’t showed any kind of interest in him before.

“Already?” It’s a rhetorical question, both well-versed in the schedule and the pacing of their wedding.

Jongin offers his glove-clothed hand to Kyungsoo, which he grabs in a blink of an eye after a glance at the few guests left in the main room with them. The silk of his figure-hugging suit reflects the fairy lights on their table, showing off the curves of the omega’s body even better.

They make their way between the half-empty tables hand-in-hand, the eldest guests still enjoying the phenomenal menu Kyungsoo successfully decided. The heat of Kyungsoo’s body seeps through the fabrics onto Jongin’s side as the omega stops them, leaning on him as they face the hall.

“The first dance is starting”, his low and monotone voice catches attention of their families as staff alike.

“We’d regret if you’d miss it. Kyungsoo has really put effort into learning it”, Jongin adds, sensing the omega stiffening next to him momentarily before he steers them into the ballroom. “What is it?

Kyungsoo doesn’t mask the surprise on his face but turns his attention forward again, leaving Jongin thinking he’ll never get an answer. His expression lights up as his friends give them thumbs-ups and mouth something Jongin doesn’t catch, the smiles of their parents giving them courage as they penetrate the wall of people surrounding the empty dance floor.

The situation is intimidating to Jongin, too, a total change of their practices with Jongin’s parents. Cameras surround the area, ready to film and photograph every second of their performance. If it wasn’t an unwritten rule of rich weddings, they’d have left out every single one of the photographers and paid paparazzies — even now they’re working under very clear orders when and who they’re allowed to record.

Kyungsoo lifts his hands onto Jongin’s shoulders, eyes scanning the crowd around them. Jongin’s arm winds around the shorter’s waist other holding their arms up, muscle memory taking over. He presses his fingers against the back under them with intent, leaning closer than necessary for the form of the dance; “Forget them. Dance with me.” Kyungsoo is a good dancer, but not when he’s distracted.

Jongin can sense a moment of hesitation on Kyungsoo’s part before he takes a breath right before the song starts, as if inhaling pure confidence. During the few times they met to practice their dance, it wasn’t just the choreography they managed to accomplish — they’re more natural together nowadays. Kyungsoo became less fidgety around him, more familiar with the close proximity of their bodies as they had to be _close_ due to the postures of their waltz.

Jongin learned a thing or two of Kyungsoo’s personality, how he’s determined and lives by proper orders and precise answers — never settling for less than the best result. Despite that side of him, it’s usually Jongin taking the initiative, the omega his reserved self until something suddenly lights his drive to be better, his inner confidence and strength seeping through — something Jongin can’t help but respect.

The effort the older has put into making his body flow to the music is immense, rhythm pulsing in their cores, hitting all the steps and extending every slide, creating the dynamics with their bodies Jongin has missed since quitting dancing. The song is not long thanks to their shortened time to practice, nearing its end, Jongin carefully running his hand down on Kyungsoo’s arm, nose leaving a trace of warmth on his cheek before they step out to the final part.

Those small but smart unchoreographed gestures of his to ensure their arranged marriage is kept under wraps; longing looks, clinging fingers and postures too close to be correct. It’s acting for the sake of his own happiness, so the fragile house of cards he has built on lies balancing his entire being, the image of Kimmistic and Kyungsoo’s future won’t collapse. ‘Fake it till you make it.’ — Jongin hasn’t and doesn’t want any other choices.

He twirls Kyungsoo into a spin one last time, hands catching him right on time as he pulls their bodies like magnets together. Kyungsoo’s neck is sweaty and cheeks radiating heat under Jongin’s palms, music fading in their ears as applauds cloud their hearing. Their chest heave irregularly, puffs of air against each other's faces as their noses graze.

Kyungsoo holds his breath as Jongin intensifies his grip, their lips ghosting over each other: the tension of the position building up. Their pulses hammer against their skin, Jongin’s instincts screaming to give in, to devour the omega, but the wait of who reaches the breaking point first is nearly more delicious — both at their limit.

In the end there’s not knowing which one of them it is, teasing over, as Kyungsoo curls his fingers against Jongin’s abdomen, angling his head to match Jongin’s greedy lips, allowing Jongin to curl their tongues together, tension exploding in their bodies. All Jongin can feel, see and taste is Kyungsoo, more Kyungsoo and _Kyungsoo_ , senseless chanting in his head.

As fast as the euphoria filled Jongin’s head, dispersing his rationality when it came, it disappears, suddenly waking him up to the situation. This is not the place or time, the rush of adrenaline after dancing, nervousness exchanged into dopamine. Neither of them is in their right mind, as they only need to play pretend with each other — the only thing between them being the contract they signed.

Jongin, truly, is perplexed at his own loss of control over a kiss, but he’s not too upset — they’re more believable, acting like this. There’s many things left they need to fix with their relationship as it’s not convincing enough as it is. He has more than once overheard the coffee break conversations pointing out the fact they have never appeared together — anywhere — nor do they live in the same place despite being engaged and by now, married.

“Kyungsoo”, Jongin commands, forcing distance between their faces. The omega shifts his eyes away, as always, looking straight to the middle of his chest, hands loosening their hold before straightening the fabric under them. A new song starts, their parents joining them on the dance floor, ending the stale silence ringing in his ears, “We should live together.”

Kyungsoo retreats back a little, surprised, the corners of his mouth unexpectedly rising as he bites his lip. He glances at Jongin properly before changing his hands’ place to Jongin’s shoulders, teeth revealing his slight smile, “Okay.”

The speed, and the easiness of the response takes Jongin a little to comprehend. Compliant is not a word Jongin associates with Kyungsoo, and he’s not sure if this is just a rare case or an occurring event, though he _did_ agree to marry Jongin despite the circumstances.

He sighs, really conflicted with everything to do with them. His nose gets pressed against the hairspray-scented scalp of Kyungsoo, red hair tickling his nose, as he leans his head on the omega’s. Jongin’s hands rest on his hips, their bodies swaying to the music absent-mindedly without any goal other than to fit in at their own wedding.

αβΩ

Four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a massive kitchen with a separate dining area connected to the living room — which is sparse as well — and a balcony. Posh, luxurious, and over-the-top. Kyungsoo allows the money to make him feel better about his abrupt choice, usually a lot more cautious and logical with his decisions.

Jongin is effective, if nothing else, having made the deal for their new apartment four days after the wedding, which means they now have a week before the move-in day at the end of the month — Jongin only now bringing Kyungsoo to come with him to go shopping — they still lack all kinds of necessities.

Not many places are open at eight o’clock on Fridays, which is why they ended up to Kimmistic Homes — it being the family business may have been a factor too. Kyungsoo has been there, surrounded by illustration kitchens and bedrooms, more than a few times as his mom is obsessed with the franchise.

Jongin is lagging behind him, even more familiar with the building. It’s been like this for a while now, and Kyungsoo has already passed the line of ignorance he cannot turn back from.

He’s not sure what they’re searching for as most of their furniture will be from Jongin’s old apartment, anyways. The kitchen and bathrooms were good on their own, stuff for the living room and dining room coming from Jongin. Kyungsoo’s parents gifted them with a balcony table set, and they’ve ordered a bunch of movables neither of them have.

“Kyungsoo”, Jongin calls out to him, only for him to recognize the fact he has no idea where Jongin is. He has disappeared from behind him, out of Kyungsoo's view.

“Yeah?” Kyungsoo backtracks some steps, peering between the fake bedrooms. He must come off as foolish trying to figure out where the alpha’s voice came from.

“In here.”

There’s a makeshift bedroom on his right, with its barren door opened. Kyungsoo curses how inconvenient it is to not be able to smell Jongin’s scent, to locate him.

With caution, Kyungsoo peeks inside, gasping when he sees the interior. There’s sleek black wood all around, accompanied with dark velvety fabrics on the pillows, curtains and decorative blankets. The atmosphere is warm and homey thanks to the soft light, the darkness of the textiles making the room feel intimate despite its size. It’s breath-taking in every sense of the word.

“Come try this out”, Jongin beckons with his words and a pathetic lift of fingers; for him to come over to the queen bed he’s lying on, hair scattering around his head like a black halo, eyes closed, “Is this good?”

Kyungsoo climbs slowly to sit next to him, taking in the room with its small decorations, not sure whether it’s the bed or the entirety he means. “Yeah, it’s great”, Kyungsoo admits with a whisper, the air in the room fragile like a dandelion — one hard breath and it collapses.

They stay in place, Kyungsoo fiddling with the buttons of his plaided shirt, absentmindedly, as he daydreams of his ideal life. It doesn’t seem too far away here, enjoying the rest their legs are getting. Kyungsoo flinches, pulled away from his thoughts with a cold hand on his shoulder, surprisingly gentle as it drags him down. Jongin has his eyes still closed, letting go right before Kyungsoo’s back hits the soft mattress.

Even the light hanging above them fits perfectly to the room. It’s of black steel, industrial-style light bulbs at each end of the pipes that cross over in disarray. Kyungsoo hasn’t seen a bedroom — or a room in general — suit his preferences like this. How did Jongin end up finding his way here, clearly claiming this heaven his, right before Kyungsoo’s eyes?

“I guess this is it”, Jongin looks over to him, eyes shining in the dim light. Kyungsoo can’t pinpoint what it is telling Kyungsoo Jongin is excited right now — his face and scent unchanged from their typical state. Jongin closes his eyes again, “Our bedroom.”

“Our?” Voicing it out loud weighs differently in Kyungsoo’s chest, embarrassment staining his ears red. Somehow, he was prepared to have separate rooms with Jongin as they have more than enough rooms — what will they do with the rest of them?

“We’re married, aren’t we?” Jongin peeks at his expression, opening his left eye before relaxing his face again. “The room next to the one at the end of the hall can become your nest — if you want so.”

Kyungsoo freezes, legs stopping their trembling as his body freezes from toes to his hair, understanding the sentence. He has been thinking about what to do with his nest, not daring enough to ask Jongin about it, spluttering to answer other than nonsense, “I- You don’t have to. A whole room is a bit…”

“It’s important for omegas, but if a room is a lot, we can figure out something else.”

Kyungsoo is stunned by the answer. It’s not ‘you can’, nor ‘I can’, but ‘we can’ as if it’s their shared problem both of them will solve together. “I was just surprised — the room sounds good. Thank you.”

Jongin rotates to him, as if he’s about to say something, his blank gaze intimidating Kyungsoo, before his attention quickly focuses on something behind him.

“Mom?”

Kyungsoo’s on his feet before he can react, omega instincts alerted at the presence of a lone child. The girl at the doorway is younger than five, eyes red and overflowing with tears, hugging a worn-out bunny in her small arms.

“Hey sweetie. You’re searching for your mom?” Kyungsoo releases his hormones at a steady pace, as he walks to her with caution, crouching in front of her onto her level, trying to not scare her. She offers a nod as a response. “Do you know where your mom went?”

A shake of a head, her long hair all tangled up. Jongin approaches them with light steps and follows his lead, kneeling next to Kyungsoo, “We could help you find your mom. Does that sound good?” 

Kyungsoo stares awed at the sight, Jongin’s face is morphed into a questioning smile, eyes crinkled and eyebrows high, offering encouraging nods to the girl. It took a crying child to crack the hard exterior Jongin has, and Kyungsoo’s not sure what to do with this new side of him. His heart beats differently as he watches Jongin dry her crocodile tears, standing up as she eventually agrees. 

“Can you carry me?” The girl looks Kyungsoo directly into his eyes over her shoulder, Jongin leading her away, gently holding her hand with his back hunched. “You smell like my mom.”

“Of course, sweetie, come on”, Kyungsoo deliberately releases more of his pheromones as he swoops her into his arms, holding in his smile at Jongin’s betrayed eyes — an expression he never could’ve imagined on his chiseled face, “Jongin, could you write down the number of the room, so we can look the stuff up later. I have my hands full.”

Jongin gives him a blank stare before complying. Kyungsoo lets him take his time, wanting Jongin to lead the way as he’s the most familiar with the layout of the building. They end up being nearer the info-desk than what Kyungsoo estimated, the child in his arms sniffling into her plushie as they make their way.

“Hey, can you announce a lost child from the intercom?” The alpha behind the desk lifts her gaze and clearly checks out Kyungsoo, completely disregarding the child in his arms. Her mannerisms and the phone in her hand tell Kyungsoo this won’t go smoothly.

She notices Jongin standing some steps away, back facing them and out of the hearing-range, making the order for the bedroom. “Shame he has to follow omega like you around, whoring your pheromones for everyone to smell.”

Kyungsoo has to grit his teeth to keep his tongue in check. She doesn’t know shit about his pheromones, “Completely irrelevant. We have a lost child, do your job.”

The alpha sneers at him, obviously not liking Kyungsoo’s commanding tone. The girl is trembling against him more as time passes, Kyungsoo doing his best with comforting her thorough his scent and calming strokes against her back. Another worker steps out, making the alpha shut her mouth, “Fine. What’s her name?”

Kyungsoo repeats the question to the youngest, hoping she’s comfortable enough to tell. After tedious seconds pass, she whispers into his ear ‘Minjoo’, which Kyungsoo tells forward. The alpha rolls her eyes before making the announcement, nails rapping against the tattered counter.

Kyungsoo turns his back to the desk, having enough of her attitude. Before Kyungsoo can react, Minjoo scrambles down from his hold, elbowing his stomach on the way, leaving a warmth behind her. There’s a man with a small build running towards her, clearly an omega, peppering her with kisses as they collide. The sight makes Kyungsoo happy, nodding as the omega mouths his thanks.

“Should’ve known only omegas are dumb enough to lose their child. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s your child lost next year”, the air shifts as the woman shakes her head, bringing a trace of cheap parfum into his nose, chewing her gum obnoxiously as she returns to her mobile game, “Calling a man ‘mom’, disgusting.”

Kyungsoo is as taken aback as he is offended. She has the audacity to insult him, and other omegas so openly, during her workhours? The beta man, on the other side of the desk frowns, smelling their contradictory pheromones, probably not hearing their conversation.

“Can I talk to the manager?”

“No one will listen to your whining, omega, shut your trap.” She leans closer, pushing her musty scent onto him, smacking her lips on his face, “Expect in bed — if even that with your face.”

That’s the last straw. Kyungsoo is tired, and wanted to avoid doing this, but now he has no choice. Talking about his private life is vile and degrading, something Kyungsoo can’t look through his fingers more than once.

“You”, he rises his voice so the beta can hear him. The man points to himself, confused, though the gravity of his tone doesn’t leave much for guessing, “Yes, you. Can you get the manager?”

“I _am_ the manager.”

“Oh, a beta manager — interesting.” Kyungsoo smirks to the nasty woman, enjoying her trembling eyes as the beta walks over, right next to her.

“How can I help you?”

“I, Kim Kyungsoo, as the spouse of Kimmistic’s heir”, Kyungsoo pauses as the two in front of him frown, jaws lose. Kyungsoo anticipated he’ll get to use this card once or twice in his life, so he turns around, “Jongin?”

“Hm?” The alpha hums, looking up and tilting his head in question after seeing the two gaping at him. Mentally Kyungsoo applauds him for playing his role perfectly by lifting his strong eyebrow, face unimpressed — like always.

“Nothing anymore”, Kyungsoo spins around, hands on the counter, looking back at the two again, “I ask you to find the right discipline measures for this worker of yours, leaning on the 6th part of the equality law, that states the employer should take measures to eliminate discrimination against all genders in the workplace, as in service.

“You should make sure she knows what the consequences for defamation are — in law. Secondly, I wish you’d use your position to point out unacceptable behavior and make sure the values of Kimmistic Homes are followed thoroughly. Nothing more, thank you.”

Kyungsoo sighs and is about to signal to Jongin that they’re leaving, when a hand meets his back. The beta covers, casting accusatory glances at the lousy alpha for the mess she caused, who continues chewing her gum, pretending not to care even when Jongin is present. A mistake on her part.

“You’ll be getting a call tomorrow”, Jongin has plastered a smile onto his face, guiding a tense Kyungsoo to step back, “Nice doing business with you. We always appreciate chances to improve our services.”

They walk back in silence, as Kyungsoo tries to get over the ordeal, to the car — Queenie, as Chanyeol calls her — its electric blue catching eyes of the late-night shoppers. Kyungsoo can tell by its aura alone that it’s expensive and rare, its sleek design and foreign logo probably making it a sports car — a pure guess from him.

“You sounded convincing with the law part. Did you come up with it on your own?” Kyungsoo casts a judging look over to the alpha, lacking filter, still in his professional state, “What?”

“That is the law”, Kyungsoo deadpans, ready to refuse Jongin opening the door for him, but keeps his mouth shut as the door opens _upwards_. Jongdae’s car didn’t do that when he gave Kyungsoo a lift earlier — he’ll leave the door opening and closing to the alpha from now on, “My side-job’s requirement is to know the laws and how they’re treated.”

“I should’ve put it together. It’s you, we’re talking about.” The corner of Jongin’s mouth rises a bit and Kyungsoo chokes on his saliva, masking it with a few coughs. Did the encounter with Minjoo unlock something in Jongin?

Jongin misses the reason for his coughing fit, starting up the car and reversing out of the parking space. He’s confident with his movements, driving coming as a second nature to him as the car hums, gliding through the streets.

“Do you drive?” Jongin speaks up, right hand on the center arm rest, eyes reading Kyungsoo’s body language as he glances to his side, “You usually get lifts from others — you don’t have your own car?”

Kyungsoo shakes his head, it’s not about that, “I do know how to drive — I’m just not that good at it, so I don’t have a car. Besides, it’s ecological.”

“I see”, Jongin pauses as he crosses the intersection, waiting until Kyungsoo finishes his massive yawn, “Good one of us is better than average.”

He is not sure is that an invite to use Jongin as his professional chauffeur, but it’s good the younger is now aware of the fact Kyungsoo won’t be driving anywhere. It feels thrilling, partly scary to share and learn things with Jongin — the feeling of unfamiliar becoming familiar filling Kyungsoo with weird sense of warmth.

“You get along with kids.” It’s a statement of a fact Kyungsoo has to voice out, for many reasons.

“I do”, Jongin turns them onto the highway, “I learned a lot with my niece and nephew.”

Kyungsoo could’ve guessed so far, having seen the two youngsters in the alpha’s Instagram some time ago. There’s a weight on his chest, pressure to come clean. The scenery of receding city center of Seoul is beautiful as Kyungsoo ponders.

Kyungsoo adores children, too — as far as he can tell from Jongin — but sometimes you can’t have things the easy way, “Do you see yourself with kids in the future?”

“Not necessarily. I can’t have biological children, so it’s never been a must”, Jongin admits it so easily, words weighing nothing in his mouth, the hum of the car filling the silence. “Now you know, we’re the same.”

Kyungsoo wants to ask, _‘You know already?_ ’, but it’d be pointless. He’d had a hunch Jongin was aware of that info about him before their marriage as it’d been a scam, kind of, if he hadn’t. Still, Kyungsoo had reasonably feared that Jongin didn’t know and he would have to tell it to the alpha straight. Very much not a conversation he’s into in any context, less if it’s to his arranged husband.

“We’re almost at home — don’t sleep yet”, Jongin clears his throat, not too harsh with his low and husky voice, paradoxically urging Kyungsoo deeper into his slumber after a rough day at work.

Kyungsoo already forgot they’re sleeping over at Jongin’s for this weekend, trying to ease themselves into their shared life, somewhat trying to erase the professionalism between them. It already appears to be working as Kyungsoo can point out the slight shift in the way he sees Jongin, as in the way the alpha acts.

He agreed to the marriage because of his pride, living together only logical solution, but it’s not his pride or logic making his heart thump against his chest at the prospect of spending the following 48 hours surrounded in the alpha’s scent.

Kyungsoo is definitely less resistant to his emotions and instincts than he originally thought, Jongin having broken through his first line of defenses without even trying. Because of that, and their situation, Kyungsoo has to be extra careful not to return to his old habits of clinginess — which sounds a lot harder now, than it did a month ago.

αβΩ

Waking up without feeling his left leg, Jongin’s groggy morning brain concludes something is different from the usual. Rest of his body is present, warm puffs of air hitting the exposed skin of his right arm — Kyungsoo is the least bothered about the sunlight filtering into the room through the blinds, still deep in dreamland.

As nice as the omega’s warmth is around his leg, the numbness is getting unbearable, so he carefully pulls his away from between Kyungsoo’s lower limbs, the pressure on his nerves now gone.

The prickling sensation of pins and needles is ever as uncomfortable, Jongin choosing to focus elsewhere meanwhile. Kyungsoo steals his attention, mere centimeters away, face relaxed as his cheeks bunch up against the gray pillow — how can someone make sleeping cute, perplexing him.

His apartment wasn’t designed for two people to live in, his bedroom layout a perfect example: the small-ish bed against the corner, leaving the only night table on Kyungsoo’s side — where his glasses and phone lie. The closet is tiny, even with only his clothes in it and worst of all, the ensuite bathroom doesn’t have a door.

Having to make-do with the situation, Jongin reaches over the sleeping figure to the night table. It takes a lot to stay balanced on one arm, hoovering over the sleeping figure, his muscles still half-asleep. The air shifts as he moves, filling his lungs with the smallest, most faint whiff of jasmine. Jongin already has smelled Kyungsoo’s pheromones previously, but the tone is totally different —fresher and lighter, as the omega isn’t forcing them out.

He’s distracted of his original plan as he really wants to press his nose against the inviting scope of Kyungsoo’s neck, a small sign of progress: their hormones are fixing themselves. It takes a great deal of self-resistance, as he extends himself past the temptation of Kyungsoo’s vulnerable throat, succeeding the mission and getting a high-resolution view.

Kyungsoo’s eyelashes flutter against his full cheeks, lips pink like candy, slightly parted, the four moles on them catching Jongin’s attention. There’s a lot more of them, Jongin notes, as he maps the flawless skin with his eyes: on the chin, next to his right eye and multiple dotting the skin of his neck — he never noticed before.

The phone on the table rumbles before ringing out Jongin’s recurring alarm, giving him a startle. Jongin has to find his balance over again, leaning over to shut it before Kyungsoo wakes up, getting tangled in the sheets before he manages to turn it off. They have nowhere to hurry as it’s Saturday.

“Jongin?” Kyungsoo’s eyes take a moment, resting on Jongin’s face straight above and registering the situation. Has Jongin always missed how the omega’s eyes are a rich nut-brown color and criminally big, like a doll’s?

“Morning, _husband_ ”, Jongin tests how the word fits in his mouth, waiting for Kyungsoo’s reaction, not knowing what to expect — the omega crunching his nose in disagreement. The way he’s acting is kind of cute, Jongin instinctively realizing Kyungsoo is not fully there, his omega-side in control.

The older pushes Jongin’s round glasses up on his nose, with delicate hands, preventing them from falling onto the omega’s face, causing Jongin to go cross-eyed for a moment. The omega lifts his head enough to see what Jongin is reaching for, before turning onto his side to face Jongin. He pulls the blanket higher on his neck, curling his free hand around Jongin’s bicep, “What time is it?”.

“It’s ten.” Jongin stalls, debating what to say: a very gullible Kyungsoo under him offering a newfound temptation for him. “Rest some more till I call you to eat breakfast.”

Kyungsoo’s hand is hot to touch where it rests against Jongin’s bare skin — the omega’s higher body temperature next to his body making him feel sluggish, too, as he straightens the arm holding him up, lying on his side. He never before realized how great the warmth radiating from Kyungsoo is, keeping their bodies close together.

Kyungsoo is already falling deeper into his slumber, the hand that was around Jongin’s bicep now resting against Jongin’s chest, his fingers in a loose fist. The sea-blue sapphire on his ring finger reflects the suns’ rays hitting it as two smaller diamonds follow along the ring’s silver, sparkling as well.

Yixing proved himself helpful, once again, with the jewelry store, as Jongin needed a single take to decide on the ring. He doesn’t have any sensible reason, other than gut-feeling, to explain how he knew it would suit Kyungsoo and his tastes phenomenally — the way Kyungsoo lit up when he first saw it was enough to bear the price of the ring. The least he deserves after getting pulled into this mess is all the material glory Jongin can offer him.

With caution, Jongin takes the omega’s hand to see the ring better, his own matching it with small sapphires fading into diamonds in the thick silver band. It’s less detailed and ornamental, more robust than Kyungsoo’s — from different collections despite looking like they belong together.

Like their rings, it feels like the two of them are surprisingly natural together, as it has been less than two months since their arrangement started. Jongin is no stranger to living with the cards he’s been dealt, no what they are, but it’s not the sole reason spending time with Kyungsoo doesn’t seem like an obligation — the omega’s cautious personality making everything easier. If this is how Jongin’s marriage will be like, it’s definitely not as catastrophic as he previously feared.

Kyungsoo is not the fragile being that Jongin has to guard and avoid getting too close to, unlike he thought at first. He’s opinionated, forward and strong in his beliefs — quick to say if something is not right, very sensitive to others’ feelings while being needy in his own subtle ways.

Despite being temporarily clingy and prideful, Kyungsoo is really obedient, a trait Jongin admires and respects a ton, putting others first — he knows he couldn’t have the same adaptability as the older has were their positions to be switched. It’s beginning to look like Kyungsoo is not only gem because of his rare genetics, but because of his will to persist, too.

“Your hair is messy”, Jongin whispers to keep himself awake, stating the fact before he curls a strand around his finger, Kyungsoo’s red-ish hair contrasting against his fingers. As the omega’s face relaxes while Jongin plays with his hair, Jongin allows himself to indulge more boldly, fingers scraping Kyungsoo’s scalp.

Jongin never before thought himself to be into power — despite his super strong alpha hormones, and thus, strong alpha nature — but Kyungsoo is proving him wrong. It _thrills_ him to feel and see the cautious and reserved omega unguarded around him, half-way into submission, in his bed, relaxing into his touch.

“It’s not that bad — you’re making it worse”, there’s a whine laced in the defensive response as Kyungsoo finally reacts after thorough massage, hands shielding his head as he tries to flatten it again, “Yours is worse.”

“It is, and I’m proud of it.” Jongin’s hair has always been a nightmare after waking up — a crow’s nest — but there’s nothing that he can do about it. “The messy look in my bed suits you.”

Kyungsoo’s doe eyes widen, not prepared, “Oh, shush”, he pushes Jongin onto his back, hiding his red face in Jongin’s neck, unconsciously nuzzling there, forcing Jongin to stay put.

Jongin freezes, hands floating around Kyungsoo, not sure where to place them — not that he ever does, the omega using him as a leverage to shove himself upright. Kyungsoo shakes his head, patting down his own cheeks, coming back to himself. Jongin itches to make another comment, to see how Kyungsoo’ll react this time, in a different state of mind, but the omega runs away to the ensuite bathroom without looking back.

“Surprising, but not disappointing”, Jongin huffs — he will have a lot of fun with the peculiar little creature Kyungsoo is, now that the older has shown he’s not put-off with some skinship and teasing here and there.

“Hey…” Kyungsoo calls out from the bathroom, seemingly confused, “is this yours?”

Kyungsoo appears in the doorway, first his head peeking out, but after Jongin’s questioning stare he shows his whole body, without proper pants, dressed in Jongin’s button up — coincidentally similar to the one the omega wore yesterday.

Jongin’s mind buffers, downloading the image into his memory. He looks _tasty_ , more than Jongin has ever before seen him, the shirt exceeding Kyungsoo’s palms and the helm continuing to the half-way of his thighs. Is this the boyfriend-look Sehun keeps fawning over?

“It is.”

The shirt is his, but technically so is Kyungsoo — if the omega would be any less confused, Jongin would swear he’s flirting. Jongin wouldn't mind it.

“Makes sense…I wondered where my pants went and- yeah”. Kyungsoo’s morning voice is raspier and heavier compared to normal, it getting quieter the longer Jongin stares.

Kyungsoo turns his head away, avoiding looking at Jongin in the eyes but making no move to go back to the bathroom, leaning slightly to the door frame. He wiggles his toes cutely, making his legs tremble, causing the ripples to spread on his thick thighs. The sight calls Jongin to come and leave his fingerprints on the flesh, spreading them apart.

Jongin gulps at the vivid image in his head, Kyungsoo breathless and pretty in a sheen of sweat — he has never before thought _in-depth_ what kind of a treasure he happened to marry, the idea seeming too far away, “I don’t mind, you staying in it.”

Kyungsoo’s scent flares enough to carry itself into Jongin’s nose, imprinting itself to the shirt as the omega jolts his doe eyes at Jongin, gazes meeting.

“I- I should get ready”, Kyungsoo captures his clothes from a neat pile on the chair next to him in a flash before backtracking into the bathroom.

Jongin falls flat onto his back and replays the situation. The look in Kyungsoo’s eyes was clear in its meaning. The shorter considered staying in nothing but Jongin’s shirt _willingly_ — Jongin’s territory in every way possible. That escalated quickly.

αβΩ

Considering the fact that Jongin is not a chef nor has he used the oven since forever, the chicken wings are looking great — no matter how carefully Kyungsoo sugar-coated his doubt when Jongin brought up today’s menu — and Jongin is quite proud of himself.

It’s a humbling experience, to get shooed out of his own apartment by Kyungsoo, to go grocery shopping for ingredients he has never even seen before to fill the last condition of their marital contract. He had prepared by finding a recipe with pictures to follow but in the words of Kyungsoo; ‘ _I won’t eat anything you made until you can differentiate between a cucumber and a zucchini’_. The zucchini in question was a very convincing cucumber to his untrained eye.

To be fair, Jongin warned Kyungsoo of his cooking skills when they made the agreement, so the omega has no reasons to keep his expectations too high. Luckily, Kyungsoo doesn’t have any favorite foods other than his mother’s cooking aka homemade food, so Jongin won’t have to do any magic level shit.

Kyungsoo’s low and full voice pulls him away from his thoughts, first absent-mindedly humming along to the R&B song playing on the radio before eventually transitioning smoothly into singing. His voice suits the song perfectly, surprising Jongin with this secret talent of his.

“You, too, knew every word”, Jongin states when the song changes, chopping the last vegetables, “Your singing is good.”

Kyungsoo’s eyes meet his temporarily, coy smile rising onto his face in surprise, as if he had forgotten Jongin’s presence, before focusing elsewhere, “I mostly listen to R&B, and that happens to play all the time, I just memorized the lyrics on accident.”

It’s not often Jongin sees Kyungsoo this shy, although he’s often reserved around him, less so these past few days. The timer rings to signal that the wings are ready, putting a halt into their conversation.

“Are you sure you can eat this?” Kyungsoo watches as Jongin pulls the tray from the oven, the wings covered in oil, “Foods like this are the reason fit physique is hard to maintain.”

The omega’s question can be interpreted many different ways, but something in Kyungsoo’s way of asking made it seem there’s underlying context he doesn’t know of. The tone of his voice conveys concern, but not like the artificial inquiries he gets from people only after his looks.

Jongin hums in agreement, casually turning to Kyungsoo, eyes drilling into his Nutella-colored irises, “Are you already attached to my abs?” leaving Kyungsoo flustered as he turns back as if nothing, not missing the rare chance to tease the older.

Kyungsoo keeps his silence as he leans against the kitchen island, not agreeing nor disagreeing, wiggling toes while Jongin checks on the rice, “I’m speaking from personal experience. I thought you’d be really strict when it comes to your diet and appearance — that’s why I’m asking.”

“You want to be fit?” Jongin is not sure why the confession surprises him as much as it does. Maybe he’s too used to Kyungsoo like this, having taken a liking to the omega’s soft appearance, forgetting the oven-hot pan under his hand, “Ow, shit, that’s hot.”

“Wrong tense. I _wanted_ to be fit — so not that hot”, Kyungsoo’s bad habit of avoiding eyes sets him up, only coincidentally catching sight of the real situation, a hue of red appearing on his neck before rushing on his feet. He beacons Jongin to the sink where he’s running the water to check if it’s the right temperature, “Come here, I’ll fix it.”

“What it matters, your body is quite hot as it is”, Jongin lowers his voice, a sad attempt of sexy mafia-boss voice as he sighs, relieved, as the water eases the burn, “Hitting the gym has it’s superficial perks, but more so it’s about feeling the results of my own work while having a hobby.”

The sound of flowing water fills the kitchen, Kyungsoo ignoring his words and focusing on Jongin’s hand, inspecting it for any lasting damage — hands cradling Jongin’s carefully, soft grasp of fingers as he tries to find the best lighting.

”A food lover who hates sweating is not the best cut for working out, so I live with what I got”, the smaller backs off, wiping his hands after closing the tap, “I think you’ll survive if you put some ointment on the burn.”

“Thanks, nurse Kyungsoo.” Jongin rummages through his cupboards for some aloe vera. “Anything I can do for you to repay?”

“Just bring the rice when you’re done”, Kyungsoo ends up doing the rest of the work as he sets the table, “And Jongin? I’m not really into the nurse-roleplay.”

Jongin stifles a laugh directed at Kyungsoo and how his low voice is dead-serious as he carries on doing his tasks. Would the omega tell him something like that, unless he wants Jongin to use that info with him? Jongin can’t but be hopeful that it’s a promise of more, as it brings up the question ‘what _is_ he into?’.

The train of thought added with the curve of Kyungsoo’s figure in front of him, black pants hugging his hips as he leans forward, warms the pit of Jongin’s stomach. Adorable with an attitude, Jongin’s type, that’s what Kyungsoo is. The thrill of the chase — Kyungsoo reacting to Jongin and playing along with his teasing only adds fuel to the fire.

His glee dies down the longer he observes the older bustling around the table like he belongs there, with him, calmness setting inside Jongin. He can’t believe how natural this feels, despite both of them doing their best out of responsibility. It’s not a secret their personalities are very compatible with each other.

He respects the omega a ton and tries always to do the best for him, although he does indulge himself by flirting with the older — he’s the one who dragged Kyungsoo into this situation and he’s should be held accountable if needed. Now that he has gotten the taste of normal hormones, he has to be super careful not to fuck anything up.

“What do you want me to call you, then?” Jongin asks seriously, Kyungsoo oblivious to the power he has over Jongin.

“What do you mean?” Kyungsoo glances up, offering him water as Jongin sits down, bringing the pot with him as instructed, “You’ve been calling me Kyungsoo just fine.”

“We should change that, spice some things up.” Kyungsoo gives Jongin one of his rare eye contacts to frown over the dining table made of dark wood, chopsticks stuck in the middle of their way to his mouth.

Jongin could pretend to have noble intentions of wanting to make their marriage more real to outsiders, which is true, but his desire is a lot more instinctive in reality. Since their wedding day it has been like an itch at the back of his head, needing a desperate attention Jongin didn’t realize until recently.

“What do you think of pet names?”

Kyungsoo takes the question a tad more seriously than what Jongin had intended the conversation to be, by setting his chopsticks down and really thinking it over as he leans against the wooden chair. That’s how he is and Jongin doesn’t mind, respecting the fact Kyungsoo doesn’t take anything lightly, always all in.

“I can’t say I mind them, but it depends a lot on the specific words”, the man clad in a beige jumper stares down the empty water glass, sweater paws clasped tightly together, “It’d be natural for us to have them.”

“While that is true, it’s not just that for me. It’s more of an alpha thing: similar to what Chanyeol and you have.” Instincts don’t care for the institution of marriage or promises — they need concrete everyday proof Kyungsoo is comfortable with him and agrees on belonging to Jongin’s side.

“Right”, Kyungsoo sighs, covering his cheeks with his fingers peeking out of the sleeves, eventually fixing his glasses, too, “It took Chanyeol five years to achieve that with me and Minseok, but I guess our case is different. The number one rule is that I won’t be owned, which means no ‘my love’, ‘my o-omega’. I will not be anything ‘ _yours’_.”

Jongin doesn’t miss Kyungsoo’s stutter and shiver, the signs more than clear that it’s not happy memories behind that pet name. Still, he feels honored that he’s a _special_ alpha in the omega’s eyes, Kyungsoo compromising his feelings for the smooth sailing of their future. “Anything else I should note? I won’t call you sweetie, though, as your family calls you that.”

“I think ‘chocolate chip’ or ‘muffin’, or other foods would just feel weird”, he leans forward and returns his focus to the food, loading side-dishes onto his spoonful of rice, “Also, stuff like ‘beautiful’ are not ideal because I think I’d become desensitized to compliments as time passes if I’d get called like that daily.”

Jongin understands what Kyungsoo is going at, but he sees no reason to not remind him daily of his wonderful assets — hips don’t lie, anyways. No matter what Jongin thinks, Kyungsoo is the final judge as he has to feel at ease with the wording in a matter as grave as endearment for claiming possession, “I won’t tell you what it is it, yet. It’s a surprise.”

“Okay then”, Kyungsoo hums, taking another chicken wing into his care despite doubting their taste at the beginning, “It’s not my fault if I don’t recognize it at first.”

They fall into a comfortable silence after that, Jongin coming up with different suggestions dumber after another in his head as Kyungsoo focuses on the meal. It feels like a big achievement that Kyungsoo enjoys what Jongin made, even if the food-lover doesn’t complement him out loud.

“Have you started packing already?” Kyungsoo breaks the silence abruptly, pointing his chopstick to the edge of the living room, where Jongin has gathered a bunch of boxes.

“Yeah, as soon as the deal was made. I don’t have a lot of free time next week, so I had to start immediately”, Jongin explains, the higher-ups pressuring the development team for the newest version of the motherboards, which happens to affect Jongin the most, being the person in between them. “I’m already done with books and all the old stuff I keep around that I don’t necessarily need.”

“Why do you keep them around if you don’t need them, when you could give them forward or throw away easily?” Kyungsoo’s tone makes it clear he doesn’t approve of such way of living, which makes sense as the older is very minimalistic person in every way.

“I did put away half of my things, but the rest that are coming with me, I have some emotional connection to them — like the forever-box I made with Baekhyun back in the third grade.” The older beta would throw a huge fit if he knew Jongin got rid of his own box; Jongin doesn’t want to get assaulted. The thought of a mad Baekhyun is enough to make him shudder.

“Then I get it. I have-”, Kyungsoo takes a deep breath and leaves his sentence hanging as he frowns, nose crunching and lifting his classes. At Jongin’s questioning eyebrow rise, he shakes his head, “Forget it. Speaking of childhood, I’ve been curious what is the ice cream thing your sisters mentioned at our wedding?”

Jongin chokes on the rice, flashbacks filling his mind. His sisters should’ve just stayed quiet, but knowing them, that’s only wishful thinking — now Kyungsoo knows too. The worst part of the story is the fact that is has been made into a big thing when in reality it isn’t.

“It’s barely anything”, Jongin relents under Kyungsoo’s eyes dying of curiosity, “We were on a holiday in Thailand, when I was around twelve and there was this stall where they made super pretty, decorated ice cream and I wanted one — pretty badly. We waited forever and when I finally got it, I thought ‘I’ll be a nice brother for once and offer my sister some’.

“I turned around to give it to her and you can guess… I dropped it, the whole thing, onto the ground and when I say the entire bazaar’s workers sprinted to my feet to clean it up — I am understating. If one could die of embarrassment, I’d be gone because of that moment. And now my sisters have made it into an inside joke because they know how ashamed I was then.”

He finishes the story, laughing awkwardly to feel less uneasy, looking away. It sounds stupid even to his own ears. Knowing he can’t avoid Kyungsoo’s reaction any longer, a happy omega comes into his view, hiding his wide grin with his hand, cheeks bunched up an eyes half-closed. Jongin has no idea why he’s that happy, but it’s beginning to make him smile too.

αβΩ

**_kyung.do.soo_ ** _When I first met Jongin, I never thought he’d like reading, but you know what they say ‘never judge book by its cover’… and here we are, as you can see, having a book date in his mom’s library. (Suggested by Jongin!) That being said, I can admit; I do judge people, always expecting the worst — I honestly have no idea how I accepted Jongin so easily into my life. The time we’ve been together has made me question a lot of things about myself and my values — nothing is black and white like I once thought. People are not only good or bad, it’s also not love yourself **or** love someone else and change doesn’t equal to danger. Questioning your views, and allowing someone affect them* is scary, I know, but if you approach it, not thinking you’re a different person after it, but a person who has grown and learned — it makes a big difference._

_*with the caution that there’s no predatory behavior or abuse of power and position_

αβΩ

“I knew you have fans,” Kyungsoo regards the pile of boxes, all labeled _fan gifts_ , “but not to this extent.”

Jongin peeks into the spare room, setting down two of the kitchen chairs he’s carrying with him. As much as it annoys Kyungsoo, he knows it’s better to let the alpha handle the furniture with the moving company staff as he’d just be in the way. It’s okay not be all muscly like the Jongin in a black t-shirt walking towards him, biceps bulging and skin glowing due to sweat.

No, Kyungsoo hasn’t been thinking about it — Jongin’s sculpted body— to the point of isolating himself into one of the rooms to organize the mass of their belongings. He can swear Jongin is teasing him on purpose, even if he doesn’t have any concrete proof.

“Kyungsoo?” Jongin dries some of the sweat on his face with the hem of his shirt, ripped, honey-toned abdomen a reach away from Kyungsoo, his eyes glued to the sight. This is what he means and Kyungsoo can’t even pretend as if he’s not getting affected.

Besides, it’s been a week already and Jongin hasn’t called him once with his pet name, always with the normal ‘Kyungsoo’, making him pretty sure the alpha forgot. Kyungsoo’s omega side doesn’t like that at all — he was serious about it.

“Are you back from your trip to dreamland or do you want me to join?”

Kyungsoo avoids eye-contact with the entirety of Jongin, crouching down to open one of the unnamed boxes to see where they belong, ashamed of himself. “Sorry, I’m a little tired. What was it?”

“These are from years ago — I haven’t gotten any fan-related gifts since forever.” Jongin opens randomly one of the boxes, showing Kyungsoo an old gaming console as proof. “These are only the highlights.”

“Why did you get these? For existing?” Although it seems ridiculous, Kyungsoo can see that happening. How does he know if Jongin was a huge heartthrob in high school and all his lovers gave him ‘fan gifts’?

“I danced professionally for ten years — my body is quite flexible”, Kyungsoo can hear the smirk in his voice, easily believing the fact as Jongin closes the box again and leans against the pile, facing Kyungsoo, “I thought you’d know, people love to bring it up.”

“Well, I have seen some videos where you sway around, but guessed they were rare occasions or something.” Jongin huffs as soon as he hears the words ‘sway around’, but Kyungsoo doesn’t how to describe it better. Though, it’s good that Jongin’s face and body hasn’t been completely wasted in the office, “When did you stop? The stuff here looks old.”

“My last performance was around the time I was turning twenty, as it was my time to take the company more seriously, my sisters having chosen their job careers elsewhere already. They left the heiring to me — I’ve always liked gadgets and the corporate world more than the two of them _combined_.”

“Do you ever regret choosing the company? I mean, I don’t know for sure, but I can tell you really enjoyed being a dancer.” Jongin whips his face to Kyungsoo at that, bringing a hint of coffee and old books, Jongin’s scent, to him, the tone sweet but sour at the same time, reminding Kyungsoo of the way strong emotions smell like.

When Jongin returns from his reverie, sitting down to categorize the stuff with Kyungsoo, he tries his best to catch it again, drawing blank. It’s the same as once before, when Jongin first cooked for him. Kyungsoo was 100% sure he smelled Jongin’s fresh pheromones but suddenly losing the smell again, making both instances up in his head to feel special.

“I used to be hung up on the whole heir-thing because of all the options I lost thanks to my new position — not seeing the ones I gained. I had known about the possibility my entire childhood, similarly to the arranged marriage, both that I came to naturally accept, no point in resisting.” Jongin talks to the floor, his sharp jawline towards Kyungsoo, words slow and calculated, void of the usual colorfulness he has.

Kyungsoo feels like he has gained a backstage pass to the life of Kim Jongin, the curtain between him and the ‘real’ Jongin drawn a little. It’s the first time Kyungsoo has seen him talk straight from his heart, with zero filters. It’s no wonder the alpha has been calm and collected since the first day, as he has had a lifetime to get used to the idea he’s going to be marrying a stranger.

“Besides, it’s true I’m the most suitable for running a company out of us three — personality and interest-wise”, Jongin adds, calm. He seems like a god-tier successor to Kimmistic with his detached and strong image, making people trust him and his guidance easily — just like Kyungsoo did almost immediately after they met.

Jongin is stronger than what people give him credit for, no matter if he’s an alpha or whatnot, for he has given up on his freedom and dreams without apparent complaints — unlike Kyungsoo himself, who lost his wits after hearing the news of their marriage, thinking his freedom ended there. With these new thoughts, he can understand Jongin’s cold and smug exterior — he’s been raised to survive, not to please like Kyungsoo.

He knows better than anyone how brutal the competition between siblings can be like, despite loving each other, so he’s surprised to learn it was basically reversed in Jongin’s family — both of the older sisters wanting to get rid of the family burden. With Seungsoo and him, it has been totally different, still is, as neither of them have been named into any positions yet.

When Seungsoo presented as a beta, Kyungsoo breathed out a relieved breath, admitting only to himself that he’s happy his older brother is ‘just a beta’. It was painfully obvious already then, that Kyungsoo was going to present as an omega with his delicate nature and features, leaving him without any other purpose than to marry for connections — which he ended up doing anyways — if their family had already an outstanding alpha in the new generation to take care of everything.

Kyungsoo has worked his butt off at the company for recognition internally and on social media, using his platform and connections to help others in addition to advocating for omegas. Surprisingly, his marriage with Jongin has affected his position at the company and beyond it, in the business world itself, more positively than he thought at first, concreting his position there, making him a prominent figure, finally — an equal competitor next to his brother for the place at the top of the hierarchy.

“You know, I started dancing for Baekhyun’s sake, so it’s funny it became so important to me”, Jongin chuckles with his pearly line of teeth showing, after a while of them just working in silence. The rare glimpse of real, pure show of emotion catches Kyungsoo off-guard, “He kept begging me to start, so he could follow suit — I had connections he wanted to use. He caused all the fuss, just so we could buy our dream car together — which we ended up buying when we were seventeen.”

“Where is it now?” Kyungsoo asks to keep the conversation going. He’s quite sure Chanyeol hasn’t told him anything about Jongin having a shared custody of a car.

“With him. I gave it to him for his birthday gift the following year.”

Ever since the wedding, this Baekhyun guy has been ticking Kyungsoo off. First, he doesn’t even pretend to care about Kyungsoo — not even for the sake of Jongin — and secondly, he doesn’t seem to be a good person to begin with, pushing and pulling Jongin to his will. Jongin knows it too, admitting Baekhyun wanted his connections and money.

He really can’t understand what’s up with their friendship as Kyungsoo could never imagine being friends with Chanyeol, Jongdae or even Minseok if they acted like Baekhyun. The only exception being when they were in college and the three others were broke as hell and Kyungsoo paid for their shared meals a few times.

Still, it’s not his place to say anything as he has learned the hard way that alphas don’t like omegas — no matter the relation or motive — butting into their friendships. His pride wouldn’t be able to take it either, sounding as if he’s jealous of how close friendship Jongin has with Baekhyun.

For a moment, he wonders where his entitlement to Jongin’s affairs originates, it feels out of place as they’re _only_ lovers on paper. Then it hits him, Jongin seated across him with legs crossed as he’s hunched over, black fabric spreading over his broad shoulders, big and beautiful chocolate eyes curiously reading Kyungsoo.

_Just like I thought — I like him._ A simple fact Kyungsoo can accept.

He’s rational and cautious, very logical with his life and decisions — until feelings are involved. He feels like laughing at himself, remembering the time he thought that he’ll survive without things like love, now that his marriage is arranged with Jongin. If Kyungsoo is feeling entitled to the alpha even before knowing about his own feelings, how is it going to be when he’s aware of them?

Things like jealousy and heartbreak will drive him mad eventually, but not until he has feasted on hope and the act of loving someone else because that’s what following your heart does. Shame that Kyungsoo can’t allow himself to enjoy the emotion to the fullest, the house of cards they’ve built too fragile to support Kyungsoo’s selfish needs of wanting to be someone’s number one.

Jongin clears his throat, placing the last pen to its holder, finishing up with sorting out the stationery when Kyungsoo realizes he’s staring the younger and drops his eyes to the empty floor.

“Aren’t you coming?” Jongin dusts his pants, offering a hand to him. The way Kyungsoo’s heart skips a beat at the gesture is almost enough for him to regret his choice of not fleeing the marriage the moment he realized his feelings. At this rate he’ll die of cardiac arrest.

“Where?” Kyungsoo asks after a beat too long silence, taking the hand and letting go as soon as he has a steady footing.

Jongin shrugs, his face nonchalant, leading the way out of the room and turning towards the end of the hallway — not towards the kitchen and living room like Kyungsoo expected. If it wasn’t Jongin, Kyungsoo wouldn’t follow, as he’s not usually very curious soul.

Cautiously approaching, Kyungsoo nears the tall alpha who’s staring into their bedroom with a stern gaze — he’s not going to survive that obstacle with these feelings of his, knowing from experience that Jongin is a semi-close sleeper. Someone has fucked up and Jongin is not impressed.

“How bad is-“, Kyungsoo asks when the bedroom comes to view, suddenly shutting his mouth when the view turns sideways, causing some malfunction to form sentences. “I- how, _why_?”

Jongin’s face is so close to his and despite being fairly high up in the air, supported only by arms, oh those arms, under his knees and back, his own hands around the alpha’s neck, Jongin’s embrace feels secure.

“You like this?”

Kyungsoo can hear more than see the surprised smirk on his face as Jongin’s face is pressed against Kyungsoo’s temple, nose nuzzling there. Left breathless and loosing himself, he watches as Jongin retreats his head, rising an eyebrow and waiting for an answer, Kyungsoo busy wondering how Jongin can tell.

It feels like the alpha can see through him, knowing what he likes and what makes him feel the most treasured omega in the entire world. Twice before, he has experienced this with Jongin — when they met for the first time and when he woke up in Jongin’s bed after their shopping night — almost slipping into full submission and frankly, Kyungsoo doesn’t have strength in him to resist now.

“Yeah, is it bad?” Jongin hears him more than well, despite whispering, his omega is actually very afraid of the answer. Kyungsoo can feel the sift in the air, in the way Jongin tightens his grip, drawing Kyungsoo closer, and in the way his gaze changes as the alpha in him realizes what’s happening to Kyungsoo.

“It’s not”, Jongin tone is lower and smoother than usual, soothing him further, “I wanted to carry you over the doorstep as I’ve heard it brings good luck to newlyweds, but I’ll settle for this as our schedules didn’t align.”

The thoughtful gesture makes Kyungsoo giggle, as he has never heard of that belief before this.

“It’s amazing”, Kyungsoo’s jaw drops when he catches sight of the room itself, familiar from Kimmistic homes but with a twist of them in it despite still being void of their personal belongings. Familiar light shines behind the younger, as he spins Kyungsoo around, “The lamp! It’s still pretty.”

Jongin glances back before looking down, with the tiniest hint of a smile, revealing a dimple in his left cheek, “It is.”

Jongin is — hopefully — still unaware of Kyungsoo’s feelings and doing stuff like this so easily, messing with Kyungsoo’s feelings and luring his omega traits out like no other, Kyungsoo’s rational thinking decreased and filter lowered. The future Kyungsoo will look back and ask what the fuck was he thinking, letting go of control like this, but he knows — he won’t regret a second.

αβΩ

“You’re _where_?!”

“Bubbles, I just said I’m in the lobby”, Jongin’s voice is teasing him at the other end of the call, “You didn’t forget our dinner date, did you?”

“No, because we haven’t planned one.”

Kyungsoo has gotten too much information at once to properly digest it all. Jongin is at the lobby of his company, waiting for him to go to their impromptu dinner-date while calling him _Bubbles_. What has gotten into that man?

“Are you just going to leave your husband here, all alone — ditch me in front of your co-workers?” Jongin complains, voice whinier than usual. He’s such a child sometimes, out of character from his exterior, but damn it’s effective on Kyungsoo.

“No. Wait there, I’ll finish up and come down”, he sighs, defeated.

There’s a knock on his shoulder, surprising him to the point of forgetting the call, “How about no?” Jongin’s tall figure looms over him, shoulders accented by the brown plaided blazer he’s wearing over a white dress shirt, tucked into his slacks. Jongin does dress to impress, or maybe it’s the fact that he looks great in everything.

“Kyungsoo… oh, you have a visitor”, Mr. Lim steals his attention away from Jongin, suddenly aware of the closeness of his and the alpha’s bodies, distancing himself to a more proper position. He’s not sure what to say to the older beta about Jongin and his dinner date — what if the director wants him to work overtime?

“Bubbles, aren’t you going to introduce us?” Jongin rolls Kyungsoo’s chair between the alpha and the director, out of the safe shadow of his cubicle as heat spreads on his neck. Again, with the endearment, which is far from being normal.

“Right! Here’s Jongin, my husband and this is our marketing director Mr. Lim”, Kyungsoo gestures around awkwardly, watching as they greet each other exchanging pleasantries, the alpha’s hands on his shoulders slowly creeping upwards.

“I was about to ask you to look over this report but seeing that your husband has come over all the way from Kimmistic, I’ll let you go now”, the old beta smiles, face filling with wrinkles after years of laughter.

“Thank you, sir”, Kyungsoo smiles and turns to gather his things soon as the other is gone, “Where are we heading?”

“It’s a surprise”, Jongin steps back to give him space, walking side-by-side to the elevator. The glint in his eyes when he sharply turns to Kyungsoo tells he has something devious planned in that pretty head of his. “Where is my greeting kiss now, Bubbles, even though I came all the way here?”

No matter how much he loves Jongin, sometimes he’d just love to strangle him in a very non-sexual way. Kyungsoo has made sure to keep his feelings in check, but with the way the younger keeps acting, it’s obvious he has caught on that he has Kyungsoo neatly wrapped around his finger. He wouldn’t dare to tease and put Kyungsoo in situations like this otherwise.

He doesn’t complain though, as days keep passing by, waking next to each other and eating together, Jongin becoming a different person compared to the day they met. The alpha is ten times more talkative and carefree in the sense that he’s not afraid to test Kyungsoo’s boundaries — while still being reserved with his true feelings.

Kyungsoo takes a quick scan around, not too many people staring as he tiptoes to peck the taller lightly, right hand keeping his balance on Jongin’s neck. It’s over fast, Kyungsoo avoiding eye contact, catching eyes with Chanyeol in the distance, phone directed at them.

Jongin soon senses Kyungsoo is not just astonished from the kiss, so he turns to see what Kyungsoo’s looking at, too. He offers a half-assed wave and to make the blackmailing material worse, presses his nose in Kyungsoo’s neck, hand winding around his waist.

The close proximity of the alpha itself is enough to send Kyungsoo’s heart into a frenzy, so when Jongin’s own scent pierces the thick coat of cologne, Kyungsoo is a goner. It’s strong, clouding Kyungsoo’s thoughts, and Kyungsoo can’t think anything but how to get it _more_. He has smelled it lingering on Jongin’s stuff, caught whiffs of it randomly, but like this it’s alive and full, giving him the sense of familiarity and liberation: the scent of coffee and old books.

It’s delicious, to put it short. Only in the car he has returned to himself enough to question what the fuck happened. He has a ton of questions, but none of them seem appropriate, like Kyungsoo doesn’t have the qualifications to ask. Why did Jongin hide his scent, and why is he not doing it anymore? Was that a one-time thing or will Kyungsoo get to smell it always from now on?

“We’re here”, Jongin breaks his reverie as they park in front of a hotel Kyungsoo knows is expensive, “We’re not staying, just eating — unless you want to test one of the rooms out.”

Jongin’s hand rests a fleeting moment on Kyungsoo’s thigh as the alpha removes his seatbelt for him, fingers grazing the inseam of his pants, the hand lingering. Kyungsoo has to take a wavering breath, his nerves suddenly feeling like electrified, Jongin’s brown eyes like dark chocolate on him, pinning him down while watching his every move like a hawk watching its prey.

Kyungsoo hates eye contact but he’s unable to drop his eyes, Jongin’s piercing gaze making him feel naked as if he could see every thought and idea Kyungsoo has had of him and his body; from Jongin’s full lips on him, to the power his remarkable hips. Kyungsoo suppresses a shudder, swallowing hard as Jongin leans closer, his scent wafting onto Kyungsoo when he swipes his long fingers along the curve of Kyungsoo’s cheek.

“An eyelash”, Jongin’s hot breath ghosts his lips, nose grazing Kyungsoo’s skin as he leans down to scent his neck —eyes never leaving Kyungsoo’s, “Let’s go eat, shall we?”

Kyungsoo stills, Jongin backing away as he grabs his keys and phone, “Yeah”, it’s a rasping, desperate attempt at collecting himself after getting carried away.

Jongin rounds the car with long strides, opening the door on Kyungsoo‘s side as he takes his stuff with him. Jongin hoovers his arm behind his waist, touching but not quite, and when Kyungsoo steals a glance to see his expression, it’s as neutral as always, totally recovered from the sexual tension between them — unlike him, whose face still feels hot to the touch.

Kyungsoo is not sure what to do with these changes in atmosphere, very familiar already with the whiplash in Jongin’s moods. It’s not the first time, and probably not the last, but every time the alpha manages to mess with his head only to return to the professional and quite indifferent distance they share, it hurts a little bit more.

On the other hand, whenever Jongin is being his considerate self, sharing things about himself and listening to Kyungsoo talk about life — it makes Kyungsoo wonder ‘What if we weren’t bound to each other by contract, but love?’ and ‘What if I had declined the marriage?’. It’s a dangerous thought process, he’s fully aware, but somewhere along these months they’ve known, Kyungsoo fell hard and is now unable to get up.

From his duality, to his appearance, to the way Jongin seems to know Kyungsoo and his tastes — Kyungsoo likes it all. The hotel restaurant is a perfect example; simple, modern and quiet. The tables are few and far apart, monochrome colors decorating the walls and all the artwork, every design-element working in harmony.

“Is everything okay? You have barely touched your food”, the alpha sets down his silver cutlery, eyes concerned for what Kyungsoo can decipher. “Is something wrong with it?”

The food is great, like one could expect when it’s Jongin’s treat and Kyungsoo feels like he should for once say what he’s feeling, or their marriage will fail before it can properly start.

“You know… I don’t think I ever said it out loud”, Kyungsoo starts with a whisper, observing the other customers, dresses graceful and wine flowing as smiles fill their faces, “I don’t resent you, Jongin, for the marriage. For some time, maybe I did, but not anymore.”

Kyungsoo’s not sure why, but his eyes fill with unshed tears he won’t allow to fall. It’s not a groundbreaking confession, but Jongin deserves to hear it anyways. His emotions are all over the place because now he has no one but himself to blame for the damage his heart takes. Once again, he’s hurting because of an alpha, despite swearing to himself that it would never happen again.

This time too, for love, because of an alpha — the only difference that it’s not Jongin inflecting the pain, just Kyungsoo torturing himself. Kyungsoo doesn’t want to do anything about it, the return of being close with Jongin and getting his attention too big compared to the risk of breaking his heart for nothing.

Jongin sighs, shoulders slumping and head hanging before he lifts his face, adorned in a wide smile showing almost all of his teeth, “That’s good to hear. You may not know it, but you saved me when you agreed.”

“Saved you?” Kyungsoo’s heart thumps as his brains blank. Does Jongin hold that big of an importance on him? “Do you mean with the acquirement or with the pressure of settling down or…?”

“We would’ve acquired Do Electronics, anyways, and while marrying you did end the annoying talks of when I’m going to settle down, that’s not what I meant. You saved me.” Jongin leans back and swipes his hair, as if his words don’t hold any weight, “I dragged you into this mess — you’re the biggest secret of our company and you don’t even work for us.”

Kyungsoo has to think for a moment what does the younger mean with it, but the words of Mrs. Kim once told him suddenly ring in his head, “Because we’re not in love. Your reliability would weaken if people were to know and the company would lose face.”

“I don’t think it’s that big of a deal since it’s none of others' business who I marry and why — and a true leader doesn’t mix personal life with work. I get it, though, that my mom wants to be careful.”

“In this day and age, everyone thinks it’s their business and that’s enough.” Thanks to social media, Kyungsoo has seen it.

Jongin hums and downs his glass of water, seeing that Kyungsoo has finally eaten, hounding them out in the fresh air, “What do you say about getting something sweet? I figured you liked them since I end up eating all the candies, chips and other sweets in the weirdest places where you forget them.”

Kyungsoo registers the words right outside the hotel, his feet stopping their movement until this is cleared, “ _What_ did you say?” Kyungsoo’s voice is icier than the ice queen’s.

Jongin turns around cautiously, probably sensing that he stepped on a landmine. Kyungsoo can see the debate in his head whether if he should open his mouth and when he does, Kyungsoo gets ahead of him.

“Who the fuck do you think _forgets_ chocolate bars in the bathroom cabinet, hmm, Jongin?” Kyungsoo takes slow and calculated steps closer, seething, “How about unopened bag of chips in the closet? Gummy bears on top of the mirror? Muffins behind the pencil holder? Did you not think for a one moment, that, MAYBE, they’re there for a reason?”

At this point Jongin is taking steps backwards as Kyungsoo takes them forward. Sadistic as it might be, Kyungsoo likes the uncertainty on the alpha’s face. You don’t cross Do Kyungsoo and his sweet stashes and expect to get away with it.

“I’m so sorry, Bubbles. I didn’t know they were only for you, and you put them there purposefully — totally my fault. I’ll buy and hide the same amount I have eaten. And more!”, Jongin opens Strawberry’s door for Kyungsoo, puppy eyes on and pleading, “To make you feel better, we can go get you an iced Ristretto, 10 shot venti with breve, fives pumps of vanilla and seven pumps caramel, 4 Splendas — poured, not shaken.”

Kyungsoo stalls as he hears the list, confusion taking over his anger as fast as it appeared, “Why- why would we go get _that_?”

Jongin tilts his head, not seeing the problem, fear melting away as his stoic face returns, “That’s what I order from Starbucks. You can get whatever you want, I was making a suggestion — no need to judge.”

“I think I’ll get something else”, Kyungsoo sits down on and waits till Jongin is inside with him, “And for future reference; I hate when people take my stuff without telling me first — especially food.”

αβΩ

Jongin raps his fingers against the wheel, waiting the light to turn green. He realizes Kyungsoo is in safe hands with his friends, but still he has this urge to bring the omega home already — the clock shows it is an incredulous time to be awake, but even though his time with Baekhyun ran long, Kyungsoo wasn’t home.

It’s not usual for one of them to be away for work or other engagements, but Kyungsoo always makes sure Jongin is aware of his whereabouts, unlike today. The Kyungsoo, who answered when Jongin called, was dead drunk out drinking with Chanyeol, Minseok and Jongdae, barely coherent enough to talk. Even without Jongdae begging him to drag the older home, Jongin would’ve done it anyways.

The thought of Kyungsoo walking home alone down the streets all alone at night, sober or not, is not pleasant. Besides, he hasn’t seen Kyungsoo drunk once as he’s not in favor of reckless drinking… usually, which is another thing Jongin is curious of.

Jongin makes the last turn to park on the nearest parking lot to the address Chanyeol sent him, powerwalking to the small bar, the other omega of Kyungsoo’s friend group, Minseok, greeting him at the door. He seems to be in a good condition, if not fully sober.

“He’s at the back”, the short man says as a greeting, smiling tiredly, “He has sobered up some since before, but I’d still be careful of him throwing up in that car of yours.”

Honestly, Jongin doesn’t care that much, his priority on Kyungsoo’s health as the car can be cleaned whenever needed, but he did think enough to end up leaving with ‘Strawberry’ as Kyungsoo calls her, the interior being more drunk-person friendly.

“Noted”, Jongin hums, walking inside side-by-side with the perm-haired omega as soon as he finds Kyungsoo with his gaze.

They’re still at length’s way when Kyungsoo turns his head — resting face-first on the wooden table — face lighting up and a heart-shaped smile taking over his glum expression, “Jonginnie? Why are you here?”

God, he’s adorable. “I’m here for you, Bubbles. Here to take you home with me”, Jongin punctuates, making sure the words stick in the omega’s intoxicated mind.

“Home?” The older perks up, turning his legs out of the booth, showing he’s ready to go.

Jongin steps closer to help him up, only to get wrapped up as the omega squeezes his middle, face pressing tightly against his Jongin’s mid-section. Kyungsoo closes his eyes, relaxing, until he starts wiggling his nose in distaste, scaring Jongin for a second if he’s going to throw up there, on him.

“You smell like that Baekhyun”, Kyungsoo looks up with his pretty owl-like eyes, Jongin’s hand working on their own as he threads his fingers agaist the omega’s scalp. The position they’re in is suddenly a lot more suggesting, Kyungsoo’s plump lips in pout.

“Probably”, he answers half-heartedly as Kyungsoo leans into the touch, “I was with him before I came to you.”

“Well, I don’t like it.” Kyungsoo tells him, but he’s not sure if he doesn’t like Baekhyun’s scent, or the fact he was with him until so late, “Always the same and you should listen to me because we’re married. Isn’t it weird? I’m this guy’s husband.”

Kyungsoo crawls back into the booth, showing off his wedding ring proudly to Jongdae and Chanyeol, blabbering nonsense simultaneously. The two older people just nod and wonder their marriage together with Kyungsoo.

“He’s been like this for the better half of the night”, Minseok’s voice reminds Jongin of his existence, gesturing for him to look back at the trio surrounded by bottles, and glasses of all sizes, “They’re really taking one for the team.”

On the other end of the booth both Jongdae and Chanyeol are sending him pointed, desperate glances to take Kyungsoo away. Taking pity on them, Jongin squares his shoulders, ready to drag the omega away if that’s necessary.

“Kyungsoo, it’s our time to go. Let’s go and pay the bill together, okay?” Kyungsoo only frowns as a response, not seeing why they should do that.

“You don’t need to, Jongin”, Chanyeol cuts in, navigating between the more sober members of their group with his eyes, “You’re doing enough, taking care of Kyungsoo.”

“I’m pretty sure he has drunk more than all of you combined and it’s not fair you have to pay for it. It’s not a big deal — Kyungsoo can pay me back later to make it even”, Jongin has more than once paid on Sehun and Baekhyun’s behalf as they’ve been too wasted to do it themselves, besides, it’s just good manners.

Chanyeol debates for a second before sighing, agreeing it’s reasonable. “Babe, your amazing and incredible husband is waiting for you — here’s your coat.” Chanyeol hands the clothing article over the table to the flushed beta, ready to help it on Kyungsoo who’s reluctant to put his hands through the sleeves.

“Bubbles, say goodbyes and put on the coat. I don’t want you to be cold”, Jongin coaxes, but as it doesn’t seem to work, Kyungsoo only stubbornly staring back at him with his chestnut eyes, Jongin flares his pheromones, “We’re going. Now.”

That puts the omega into movement, hurriedly fumbling with the dark fabric before giving a round of hugs, firstly to the blonde beta, Jongdae, then to Minseok and finally Chanyeol. Jongin has never seen him as affectionate and clingy before, but it’s not a bad thing.

“What is it?” Minseok ask as Chanyeol freezes, hands just let Kyungsoo go into Jongin’s arms. Jongin can feel his stare on them, as Kyungsoo gives him, too, a goodbye hug.

“Nothing. I just thought I smelled… jasmine.”

All of them know the implication, deeply breathing through their noses for any trace of Kyungsoo’s personal scent. Minseok and Jongdae shake their heads as Chanyeol frowns, not smelling it again. Jongin, on the other hand, his nose next to the omega’s hair can catch a whiff of it under all the alcohol — a little bit proud it’s only him, who can scent Kyungsoo almost in every situation nowadays.

Kyungsoo’s hands are securely around Jongin’s chest as they walk to the bar, Kyungsoo chuckling the entire time they stand there, Jongin having no clue why that is. It’s halfway to the car, Kyungsoo calming down enough to tell him.

“Jonginnie, you- your nephew holds pencils better than you”, the omega breaks into laughter once more, almost toppling the two of them over, “It’s like this, your fingers.”

Jongin’s pride takes some damage as Kyungsoo shows him how he thinks Jongin’s fingers look like, but the pure joy in his eyes and the deep laugh, bouncing off the buildings surrounding them is enough to bring a smile onto his face too. The way Kyungsoo exaggerates may be a little funny.

“I always thought you were perfect, you know”, Kyungsoo confesses as Jongin makes sure nothing of Kyungsoo will get between the car door before Jongin closes it. Kyungsoo looks so ethereal there, head against the headrest, the moon lighting his blushing face with eyes twinkling, full of stars as he looks at Jongin.

“How so?”

“Is there anything you can’t do?” He’s calm now, soft smile grazing his full lips and an adoring look in his eyes, not waiting for an actual answer, just content lying there, Jongin before him. It feels like Kyungsoo can see somewhere, into the depths of Jongin at that moment. He’s so open, vulnerable and loving that _Jongin_ feels insecure in the stead of him.

The older’s mere presence is enough to open the box full of forbidden feelings Jongin has avoided for a while now. The realization of emotions, reaching further than ‘Kyungsoo is hot and I’m dependent on him thanks to his hormones’ is revolutionary, shaking Jongin’s entire view of himself in the context of ‘them’.

He closes the door between them, breaking the moment at the same time. He needs the breather of walking around onto his own side before stepping inside, next to Kyungsoo.

“Whistling”, Jongin says, startling Kyungsoo as he wakes up the engine, “I can’t whistle although I’d want to.”

“It’s okay”, Kyungsoo wiggles on his seat, turning to face Jongin the best he can, “You’re still perfect in my eyes. And your cooking is good — the braised pork you made was so yummy!”

The words make Jongin huff, Kyungsoo’s sudden comforting catching him off-guard, changing the topic, “Thanks. Are you sleepy? It’s late already.”

“Nope, not at all! I like you, so I want to do something with you. Now”, Kyungsoo copies the way Jongin ordered him earlier, completely disregarding his own confession that almost got them to drive into a tree as Jongin whipped his head to the omega, “Can we please watch a movie? I haven’t watched one in ages.”

Jongin focuses on the empty roads, heart pumping loudly in his chest. This is too much, too fast but there’s no way he can say no now, Kyungsoo pleading him so earnestly, “As long as it’s not romance. I prefer horror or action.”

“I love action”, Kyungsoo nods to himself, probably deciding on the movie in his head, “and historical and science fiction movies — but we’ll watch action so Jonginnie will have fun too.”

Jongin has nothing to add, savoring every time the older calls him ‘Jonginnie’, the endearment only exclusive to drunk-Kyungsoo so far, like many other traits. If it was anyone else hanging in his arm limiting his ability move, Jongin would give the one daring to do so a threatening stare but Kyungsoo being his special person, there’s a lot Jongin can overlook.

“I thought you said this wasn’t romance”, Jongin points out to Kyungsoo lying on him, eyes never leaving the screen despite the very intense love-making scene in front of them.

“Many action movies have romance as the b-plot. What can I do?” The omega is a lot more sober now, his words clear after a comfortable hours on top of Jongin. He has waited for the moment Kyungsoo decides enough is enough and gets up, until now, realizing he’s not moving until the ending credits are rolling.

As he watches Kyungsoo, watching the couple on the screen, an idea comes up. It’s a terrible idea, but so, so tempting. Now, Jongin is fairly sure Kyungsoo is in love with him — replaying scenes of the two of them from when they met to today is making it obvious, although he can admit the world where Do Kyungsoo falls in love with Kim Jongin in an arranged marriage doesn’t seem real.

His own feelings can’t be far from that as being Kyungsoo has been more than natural to him from the start, the omega drawing Jongin’s heart to him unconsciously like metal to magnet. The love he had just has been masked under titles like lust and respect for quite the time — and for now he doesn't want Kyungsoo to know, too confused with himself.

As if sensing Jongin’s internal dilemma, Kyungsoo tears his face away from the movie, hint of a grin on his lips, eyes clear as he looks down to Jongin’s, for once. His eyes widen when Jongin grabs his face gently, allowing Kyungsoo to run away if he wants to.

Kissing feels different when there’s concrete feelings involved.

Their lips are so eager to get more, to feel more when the heat grows. The sexual tension between them is magnificent, accumulated throughout weeks of teasing and playing around. Jongin’s hands wander everywhere they can reach, helping Kyungsoo to straddle him, as the omega’s hands find their way under his shirt, mapping the skin of his abs and sides; leaving fire after them.

Kyungsoo moans when Jongin licks the special part of the roof of his mouth, hot gasps of air fanning over Jongin’s cheek when their eyes meet, pupils widened and cheeks red, eye contact ending as Jongin’s phone rings with an incoming message.

Whoever has something to say to him, probably has something important, it being almost the sunrise already. Kyungsoo climbs down without saying anything as Jongin chooses what to do, handing the phone over to him.

_BBH: Nini_

_BBH: THE GODS HAVE BLESSED ME_

_BBH: guess who’s going home with the hot handsome alpha from your wdding????_

_BBH: ME BITCH_

_BBH: not even mr Chanyeol can resist my charmmms_

_ME: have fun xx use protection_

Baekhyun is as crazy as ever, the energy making him smile. Yixing is the only one who won the bet of will Baekhyun catch Chanyeol, both Sehun and Jongin betting against it.

“What is it?” Kyungsoo asks, hands clasped tightly together, legs trembling as he wiggles his toes against the deep-grey carpet.

“Baekhyun, he-“, Jongin starts but decides against it as Kyungsoo rests his head on the backrest, the tiredness catching up. The story is too long to tell now, “You’ll hear about it tomorrow.”

Maybe it’s for the best that they stopped when Baekhyun send the text, seeing Kyungsoo is reluctant to open his eyes again. And as unconventional they’ve been in their relationship, maybe they should talk about things before going further, when Jongin is ready, as he still is dependent on Kyungsoo and can’t afford to lose him.

“Come on Bubbles, bedtime”, Jongin stands up, stretching his back.

“Yeah, can you clean this up, I want to-“ Kyungsoo hesitates, gesturing towards their night snacks, suddenly feeling more distant, Jongin totally understanding it.

“You’re tired, so go to sleep first. I’ll come after I’m ready.” Kyungsoo offers him an appreciative smile, dragging his feet to the corridor, walking way past their bedroom, into his nest, where Jongin is even prohibited to look. “No cuddles for me then.”

αβΩ

With the way his head pounds, Kyungsoo is ready to hit the bed as soon as possible. He has been uncomfortable the entire day, cold one second and hot the next, nothing feeling good on him, his skin super sensitive to fabrics and to the touch of others suddenly. Kyungsoo couldn’t focus a second during their Friday-gossips, brain acting like overcooked spaghetti.

He leaves the keys on the kitchen table, dropping his gray coat next to them, hoping Jongin will take care of them when he comes home later — he mentioned working late today. Jongin’s stale scent lingering in their apartment comforts him, calming down the headache a little. With it affecting him like this, it’s no wonder a couple of Jongin’s clothes have ended up in Kyungsoo’s baby-blue nest among the mountain of pillows — just the thought makes him content.

“Kyungsoo”, Jongin steps out of their bedroom, fresh out of shower with his black hair slicked back, only loose sweats hanging low on his hips, voice high-pitched out of surprise, “You’re home already.”

Kyungsoo’s attention is too focused on the extremely good-looking alpha in front of him, practically dripping in sex, to question why he is home already. His eyes pass the abs and follow Jongin’s happy trail until Baekhyun steps out behind the alpha, equally fresh out of shower, eyes widening at the sight of Kyungsoo — dressed more appropriately, in a complete outfit consisting of a pair of jeans and a sweater.

“Hi, Kyungsoo”, Baekhyun smiles, it not reaching his eyes, looking back and forth between the married pair, sensing the tension radiating off Kyungsoo, “Uh- I have to go to meet, no-, go to work. See you later.”

Kyungsoo’s mush of a brain is clear enough to register Baekhyun’s panic, bringing a fresh scent of old books with a hint of coffee with him as he flees past Kyungsoo, the door opening and closing behind him.

Kyungsoo huffs, far from being amused, as everything suddenly makes sense. It’s not Baekhyun himself, or his friendship with Jongin that has bothered him throughout the months, but the possibility and _probability_ of Baekhyun and Jongin being involved in a romantic relationship — and for a good reason, apparently.

Seeing Jongin with someone else hurts, in the must painful, sharp way of hurting — the way Baekhyun can break Jongin’s stoic exterior time after time when he’s not even present, Jongin casually gifting him cars — tearing his hopes and dreams away, just like that.

Kyungsoo knows he wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for their fake marriage, having forgotten his place, always known better than to cling, see what happened — unable to fully digest the news, standing blankly, the pain he’s in making him angry. Kyungsoo never asked for any of this shit.

Jongin takes careful steps closer by the sound of them, Kyungsoo stubbornly staring the wall to keep his face and heart in check as he can’t promise how he’s going to react. When the alpha is close enough for Kyungsoo to be in his bubble of pheromones, Kyungsoo takes a step away. Jongin can keep his pheromones to himself — Kyungsoo doesn’t want to feel calm and comforted, as he’s feeling like he could rule the world like this.

“Kim Jongin,” Kyungsoo rises his hand to stop Jongin from saying anything, as he’s ready to draw some lines, pinning the alpha down with his stare, Jongin immediately freezing up, “If you’re going fuck someone, please do tell me in advance so I won’t walk in on you. And _never_ again in our bedroom, you clear?”

When Kyungsoo realized he liked Jongin, he agreed that he set himself up for a disappointment and for that mistake, he can blame nobody else than himself. The thing Kyungsoo _can_ blame Jongin for is the way he toyed with Kyungsoo, flirting up a storm and making out, only to have someone else, treating Kyungsoo like some side-chick despite being his husband.

Kyungsoo must close his eyes tight, really feeling like punching someone, not into the thought of hitting Jongin — although he very much deserves it. Kyungsoo’s not someone to get angry easily but when he does — Kyungsoo finds the power exhilarating. Now though, the splitting headache and hot flashes are slowing him down, leaving him a lot more vulnerable than he’d like, heart hurting.

“Bubbles, no — I could never hurt you like that. Baekhyun is only my friend, has always been”, Jongin steps between Kyungsoo and the hallway wall, breaking the staring contest there, again engulfing Kyungsoo with his pheromones, numbing the worst pain Kyungsoo’s in, relieving the symptoms unrelated to heartbreak.

Why is it Jongin who hurts him, and Jongin who makes it better? It’s unfair that the alpha holds that kind of a power over him, “Just friends… both freshly out of shower, drowned in your scent — what is there to misunderstand when you treat always him specially?”

There’s so much honey-tan skin in front of him and Kyungsoo is conflicted with himself, avoiding the alpha with his eyes to resist the temptation, knowing he won’t be able to resist when Jongin is pleading him to listen with his voice and eyes.

“Yes, Baekhyun is special to me, because we’ve known forever — just like your friends are special to you. The reason why I suppressed my pheromones is because they’re so strong and overwhelming, literally drowning everyone in less than ten minutes”, Jongin seems sincere with his words, speaking a lot faster, more desperately than Kyungsoo has ever heard, “And what comes to the shower, I was dyeing his hair for... him, and I had to shower because he cannot sit still and kept splattering me with the color.”

Jongin shows him his hand, spotted with dark color, proving his story, but it’s not enough for Kyungsoo, “ You hesitated; what for did you dye his hair? Also, why did you lie about being home late, when you were here with him? I hate when I’m being lied to, Jongin.”

Kyungsoo can look through his fingers with white lies and dishonesty if it’s about stuff like concealing his feelings for Jongin after his drunk confessions, but now, he’s not feeling very forgiving.

“For my defense, I thought I had to work late because Baekhyun sent me a text this morning: _Hopefully you haven’t planned anything for the evening, we have a lot of work to do_. He only failed to mention the work was coloring his hair”, Jongin breathes in fast and exhales slowly, the air hitting Kyungsoo’s hair, sending a shiver down his spine, “I’m not allowed to tell you this, but I’m weak for you, Bubbles, and this’ll clear the air.

“Baekhyun is dating Chanyeol, who said he likes dark-haired people, so Baekhyun ought to surprise him. They’re not official yet because both of them are our friends and Baekhyun is terrified of you for some reason.”

“Why didn’t Chanyeol tell me? This is huge”, Kyungsoo frowns, finally looking up at Jongin who visibly relaxes when he sees that. “Knowing Chanyeol, if he really likes Baekhyun, he’ll wait as long as Baekhyun needs before telling me.”

“Bubbles”, Jongin grins and presses his forehead against Kyungsoo’s as he grabs Kyungsoo by his cheeks, fingers cradling his neck, almost causing Kyungsoo to melt with the way his knees buckle and body shivers. Jongin is so near, so close, causing Kyungsoo's heart palpitating like crazy. “We’re okay now? You’re my only one.”

Kyungsoo can feel the dopey smile on his own face, Jongin’s beautiful eyes looking into his, soft lips a breath away and his warm skin under Kyungsoo’s fingers, “More than okay.” He almost wants to shy away from the attention, unable to escape Jongin’s grip.

“You’ve been smelling like thousand jasmine trees, luring me in with your scent for a while”, the alpha half-growls nosing Kyungsoo’s neck for more, “And you’re burning up, Bubbles.”

He can feel his eyes rolling back, body molten vax in the arms of Jongin, the last brain cells not drunken in Jongin noticing something is off, “That’s not possible, it shouldn’t be.” His thoughts get interrupted as a familiar ball of want starts to gather in him, weeks early of its cycle “And Jongin? My heat is hitting — right about now.”

“Oh”, is Jongin’s last word before Kyungsoo shudders, clinging on him for support, pupils dilated and greedy.

“Can you kiss me?” Kyungsoo asks, still aware of his surroundings unlike many other omegas during their heats. Contrary to popular belief, Kyungsoo likes having his heats, even more so now that he has Jongin with him, as nothing beats the satisfaction of having an alpha when it’s the only thing your body cares about.

Jongin doesn’t answer with words, cornering Kyungsoo against the wall, pushing their bodies close as he devours Kyungsoo’s lips. Their tongues dance together with fever while Kyungsoo roams his hands along the expand of Jongin’s strong back, the younger undressing Kyungsoo the best he can.

“You scent is divine, I can’t get enough of it”, Kyungsoo drools, licking the alpha’s neck, nibbling there with his teeth before Jongin lifts his legs from the ground, wrapping them around his body so their groins grind against each other.

Kyungsoo moans, loud, and keeps moving his hips the best he can, receiving double the amount of attention he gave on his own neck. Jongin sucks, nips and licks until Kyungsoo knows without looking that his neck is fully marked, the alpha switching to give attention to his ears, where Kyungsoo is sensitive, receiving loud whines as a feedback.

“Bubbles, you’re so fucking hot, you know? You drive me insane with your body, ‘soo.” Kyungsoo moans at the words, preening at the compliments, one of Jongin’s hand finding its way to Kyungsoo’s chest, rubbing his nipples there.

“So, good, you’re so good, alpha”, Kyungsoo chants mindlessly, feeling slick starting to trickle down his thighs, possibly ruining his pants, care out of the window. Jongin freezes at the words and the sudden burst of Kyungsoo’s smell in the air, hauling the omega in his arms higher, reversing into the bedroom and manhandling him onto the bed.

Jongin looks so good above him, bronze skin shining in sweat, muscles flexing under his skin — all for Kyungsoo to feast. He’s concentrated on getting rid of Kyungsoo’s pants and underwear, kissing and lapping the skin that is revealed little by little, the bruises he sucks fueling Kyungsoo’s lust as they’re plain shows of want. The alpha’s wet hair tickles Kyungsoo as it has fallen out of place, Kyungsoo treading his fingers through.

"You're so beautiful", he sighs, heart hopeful and so full of love, as if nothing was wrong minutes ago — Jongin affecting him like that, although he doesn't hear from his ministrations.

As soon as Jongin is done with his operation of removing Kyungsoo's clothes, Kyungsoo pushes himself up, going for Jongin’s sweats next. He knew from all the grinding that Jongin is big, but the size is still enough for Kyungsoo to widen his eyes in anticipation, mouth drooling from the prospect of having that in him, body trembling and temperature rising.

“Later, Bubbles, I’ll let you feast as much as you want, but now you’re the priority”, Jongin pushes him back, following suit as he claims Kyungsoo’s lips again, slower and more controlled now, taking a moment to treasure the situation — their relationship won’t be the same after this — seeking confirmation.

Kyungsoo gets the message, taking hold of Jongin’s sharp jaw, looking straight into his eyes and bending his legs so Jongin can fit against him better, “It’s okay. _Please_.”

He loves that Jongin is so careful, but the heat is beginning to burn his insides, his slick dripping onto the bed as his dick is laying painfully hard against his stomach. Jongin is not much better, their precum mixed where it pools on Kyungsoo’s waist.

The magic-word works and Jongin nods, fingers grazing their way down Kyungsoo’s body, “Tell me if it hurts, I’ll start slow.”

Jongin truly is gentle when he works Kyungsoo open with his fingers, adding them as Kyungsoo trembles under him, demanding kisses from time to time, until Kyungsoo reaches his limit, knowing his body is designed to down alpha cocks, especially during heats.

“Grab my hand”, Jongin demands, spreading his fingers for Kyungsoo to lace them with his own, “I’m going in, Bubbles.”

Kyungsoo hums, enjoying the delicious stretch, finally getting proper relief, surrounded in Jongin’s pheromones. He holds onto the alpha’s hand like his life depends on it, eyes rolling when Jongin eventually bottoms out. He feels so full and satisfied, partly even proud to see Jongin’s eyebrows furrowed, barely holding back.

He’s feeling good so Kyungsoo sees no problem with grinding down himself, “Feels good, give it to me, _alpha_.” He has a feeling Jongin is weak to Kyungsoo calling him like that, whispering it straight to his ear.

“You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into”, Jongin grumbles as he pulls back before thrusting hard. Oh, Kyungsoo knows, wanting it like that.

Their bodies rock in sync, the room filling with sounds of Kyungsoo’s moaning and the bedframe creaking, heat radiating off their bodies while paradoxically burning hotter inside them, both losing control to their instincts.

Jongin penetrates Kyungsoo’s every sense, strong scent filling his head, skin sliding against his, golden being all he can see, rough breathing filling his ears and saliva exchanging. He loves the high he gets from over-stimulation of his senses, brain hazy and unable to register other info than pleasure from their bodies.

He’s nearly done, drool dripping down his chin and tears of satisfaction in his eyes when their pheromones explode, sending him over the edge, dream-like comfort drawing over his consciousness, Jongin’s warm and soft kiss keeping him grounded, both smiling into the kiss.

αβΩ

“I’ll be right back with the blood results”, Dr. Choi smiles to him and closes the door after him, leaving Kyungsoo alone in the check-up room.

His annual doctor’s appointment happened to land onto the day after his heat, as if destined, as Jongin has been talking about scenting him, although, that shouldn’t be possible so Kyungsoo’s been wondering if it is a side-effect of his heat. Otherwise, he feels better than ever, having basically only slept, eaten and had sex for the past three days, Jongin catering to his every need —almost too good to be true.

The said alpha is waiting for him now at the parking lot with Strawberry, being his chauffeur, both of them acting relatively normal as nothing has officially changed between them, despite everything that went down. Kyungsoo isn’t sure if it’s brothering Jongin, too, the way they haven’t talked about what happened and what’s going to change.

He is a little bit ashamed for assuming things about Jongin and Baekhyun, but it’s not like his thoughts were totally groundless and the misunderstanding ended up bringing them closer than ever, both physically and mentally. As futuristic and unrealistic it is, Kyungsoo has a feeling like there’s something that can develop into mutual love, someday.

Kyungsoo gets pulled out of his daydreams when the door opens, not only revealing his own doctor Choi behind it, but someone else he has never seen, too. The duo exchange badly hidden smiles as they pass Kyungsoo, stopping to stand before him.

“Kyungsoo, here’s the Kims’ family doctor, Mr. Park Junhee”, Kyungsoo greets the old alpha, waiting for a further explanation, very expectant both in good and bad, “Since your health affects Jongin’s directly, I decided to bring him here to hear the news with you.”

“Okay…” Kyungsoo realizes he should be concerned for patient information safety protocols and all that, but he’s focusing more on the fact that there must be a big change in his health. Is he terminally ill? Will Jongin become a widow before reaching thirty? _Why are they smiling?_

“You don’t have to be so worried, Kyungsoo. More so, congratulations!”

Kyungsoo is really done with these life-changing moments starting with congratulations when he has no idea what’s going on, “…for what?” He came here to get an explanation for his new scent, getting caught up in something bigger — just his luck.

“Your alpha-hormone levels have risen, and they’re nearly normal, which means your pheromones work like any other omegas’”, Dr. Choi reveals and Kyungsoo can’t believe what he’s hearing, his heart thumping loudly in his chest. He has been told his whole life there’s no cure because medication would only cause him to have a hormonal overdose — and now he’s like normal?

“And what’s better, since your pheromones have affected Jongin, his omega-hormone levels have evened out too — just like yours”, Jongin’s doctor tells him with a wide smile, cooing when tears well up in Kyungsoo’s eyes. “You must be happy. I think we can let you leave now, to tell Jongin the good news.”

“See you, Kyungsoo. Now go and hurry to your husband.”

Kyungsoo sniffles and thanks both of them, grabbing his things as fast as possible, turning away from the way to the parking lot as soon as the door closes behind him. Why is it that he always ends up crying in the bathroom when it comes to news regarding Jongin?

It’s definitely not pure luck his hormones have fixed Jongin's, that much Kyungsoo can deduct, pieces falling onto their places. Kyungsoo has heard there’s cases of his hormonal dysfunction, where the hormones are reversed to his, completely unaware his husband has it.

Since middle school, they’ve been taught that every gender has around 50% of their original hormones being their gender’s specific type, and fourths of the two other types of hormones — the exact numbers varying from person to person. The basic rule is, the more you have alpha or omega hormone, stronger the characteristics and pheromones.

In Kyungsoo’s case, everyone knew he was an omega, already then, in middle school, years ahead of others. As they examined him — Kyungsoo can still remember the face of Mr. Choi as he read the results — his hormones were 89-percentually omega’s, stabilizing ten percent of the beta type, and barely one percent of the alpha-hormone.

Because of that imbalance, his body didn’t even recognize the hormones, making him infertile and lack scent completely — the aggressive alpha hormones needed to stick to the omega ones, chemical reactions between them causing the production of pheromones. Medicating, his only option to regain his scent, was immediately ruled out as it would’ve given him an overdose, lifting his entire hormone levels to 150% at minimum, since there’re so many omega-hormones in him that need a counterpart.

“I have been so blind”, Kyungsoo admits quietly, silent tears making their way down his cheeks, to his trembling hands against his mouth to keep the sobs in. He leans against the door, needing something to keep him up for him.

Jongin blocked his pheromones, until he did not, the stale scent of them pungent enough, purely dripping in alpha-hormones, told Kyungsoo straight ‘you saved me’ without further explanation — Kyungsoo could’ve questioned it, but Jongin’s case is even rarer than his own, so Kyungsoo wouldn’t have even dared to bring up the chance to himself.

He _did_ question several times why he was chosen to marry Jongin, was it a stroke of luck, a reward from someone bigger than him; a gift from gods. Unfortunately, it was a plan.

A plan where Jongin exposed Kyungsoo to his pheromones, causing his body to react by producing the same number of hormones as Jongin’s mass of the alpha type that latched onto Kyungsoo’s omega hormones. The chemical reaction recovered Kyungsoo’s pheromones, making the process repeat in Jongin, subduing his uncontrollable pheromones.

It’s impressive, even Kyungsoo can admit, very effective, a fool-proof scheme. The way he was nothing more than a pawn in Jongin’s game, becoming very apparent as the sobs extend to his whole body, head hurting and throat hoarse from the crying. Since meeting Jongin, this is what his life has been subdued to, crying and laughing, then crying some more, all thanks to one man.

He’s not sure how he can face anyone after this, proud of his marriage that happened purely for his body — the three-genders equivalent of a man marrying a woman with big breasts to cure his erectile dysfunction. He can easily imagine Jongin’s family and friends laughing at him behind his back, clowning him. There never was any room for love, was there?

It may not be possible, but this hurts more than thinking Jongin sleeping with others — because he had their marriage as a proof of _something_ , some kind of a claim on Jongin. Now there’s nothing but his broken heart, his pure love tainted by Jongin’s self-satisfaction.

All the flirting and playing around make sense, with Jongin’s otherwise distant nature, as hard as it is for Kyungsoo to admit. The fastest way to transfer hormones _is_ during sex, so it’s no wonder Jongin was more than happy to fuck him for three days straight.

Despite everything shitty Kyungsoo has gone through in his life, this takes the cake — because the biggest crime Jongin did is the one he didn’t even want to commit: robbing Kyungsoo of his heart.

The disgust he feels is immense, the content of his stomach wanting back up.

αβΩ

_“Jongin, look at the camera”, Kyungsoo points towards the phone, “You’ve been staring at the legos the entire live now.”_

_“Bubbles, we made a deal, remember?” Jongin asks, almost finished with his Porsche 911 RSR race car set, side eyeing Kyungsoo’s mess of parts, “What do you think happens to those who break deals?”_

_“The deal was off the moment I realized you are an expert at this”, Kyungsoo huffs, “You played foul for not telling me you love legos and have built tons of them!”_

_“You didn’t ask before, and it never came up”, Jongin attaches the last piece and glances at the phone streaming them, before turning to Kyungsoo and lowering his voice, “You broke the deal, so you need to be punished.”_

_Kyungsoo’s eyes widen behind his glasses, almost comically, “Jongin, we’re **live**. I can’t just edit this.”_

_“I know. Let’s ask your followers what your punishment is”, Jongin opens his own phone and reads the comments flying past, “They want you to kiss me — you’re lucky they’re letting you go off easily.”_

_“Kim Jongin, you- I’m not even surprised anymore”, Kyungsoo reveals his heart-shaped smile, “Your love for video games and legos, the way you use underhanded methods to get what you want — you’re only a child at heart. And I’m a fool who falls for your antics every time.”_

_“Hey, don’t make it sound like I do some shady business”, the CEO frowns, “I just utilize my resources well when it comes to you — because I love you the most.”_

_“Really? More than legos?”_

_“More than legos and video games and fried chicken”, Jongin leans closer to the older, both half-forgotten about the camera, “Now, kiss me.”_

_“No, I won’t.” Jongin pulls back, surprised at Kyungsoo’s stern tone, leaning into his touch when Kyungsoo caresses his cheek with longing eyes, “I won’t, because you’re not here with me Jongin.”_

_“What do you mean? I’m right here — talking to you and touching you.”_

_“You are a dream Jongin”, Kyungsoo tells him, chuckling lightly at the crestfallen expression, smile sad, “A dream I once chased.”_

αβΩ

The view manages to be breathtaking even through the screen of his phone, although it’s nothing compared to the real sunset before him, the buildings of LA filtering beautiful oranges of the sky. Kyungsoo posts the story and pockets the device, sipping champagne on the other hand — tired of socializing already. Even after three years, events only full of English speakers wear him out like no other, but Kyungsoo knows he’s not in a position to complain.

He’s fully aware how cowardly his actions were, staying with Minseok while he negotiated working overseas with the company, first in Japan for a few months and after pulling strings here and there, a long-term position reserved for him at the Do Safety’s American branch right after that. No time for him to come across Jongin — at all, which was just what he needed.

The alpha probably realized something was wrong the moment Kyungsoo told him to go home first, that he had to accompany Minseok for a while, which he did, only going back to their place to get his stuff before leaving for Japan — his pair of their keys on the dinner table as a trace of him. As petty as it is, Kyungsoo still feels no obligation to talk with Jongin about the end of their life together, since the alpha didn’t feel the need to tell Kyungsoo the real reason for the beginning of their marriage.

As the cause for Kyungsoo’s move across the globe was justified with work, even the press didn’t poke too much into it, Kyungsoo pretending from time to time in social media that he and Jongin had met, that he had received something from the younger, or that Jongin had cooked his monthly meal for him, to keep up with their image — although sometimes it feels that it is more for himself, the fairytale-version of their marriage he tells himself for a bedtime-story during the nights he cries himself to sleep.

“The turn-up is great”, the familiar voice of Lily, his omega co-worker and best friend here muses, waking him from his reverie, “How did _you_ get the idea of starting an omega shelter in Do Safety’s name and the annual fundraiser with it?”

“I have already told you several times”, Kyungsoo smiles, knowing full well it’s a rhetorical question. A waiter passes, taking Kyungsoo’s empty glass with him, and Kyungsoo resumes, “Besides, what are you doing with me? Shouldn’t you be greeting the quests?”

The tall girl beside him immediately turns away, scratching the skin behind her ear, “About that… your husband asked to tell you he’s here.”

The glass would be on the floor, in pieces, if Kyungsoo still had it. Lily is too aware of the state his marriage is in, how Kyungsoo’s still affected by the person and the stuff that happened, to joke about it — meaning Jongin must really be here. Kyungsoo feels surprisingly cold.

Not more than one sweep of the guests is needed to lock eyes with the person he fled almost 10 000 kilometers for, and if it’s possible to feel claustrophobic in a huge ballroom, Kyungsoo is now experiencing it for the first time. Despite his anxiety, he knows he can’t afford to cause a scene, their marriage in line — the last thing tying them together — and his love for the event too big. Whatever happens, Kyungsoo doesn’t want to ruin the efforts of his company helping omegas in need.

From across the room, Jongin looks dashing as always, but it’s amplified by the fact that Kyungsoo has really missed him throughout the three years apart, despite everything. He’s a brunet now, body sturdier than before and the piercing gaze enough to tell him he can’t run away, not anymore.

Kyungsoo makes the split-second decision to stay where he is, to face Jongin here, in front of everyone. Like he expected, soon enough Jongin heads over with Yixing in tow, his mother’s secretary, who stays back, right out of the hearing range. It’s just the two of them in that moment.

The Jongin before has a different aura than before — or maybe Kyungsoo’s memory is warped. A big part of him longs for the time they shared, feelings still the very same — doomed to his fate, as he’s content with the one-sided love. Another part, the one protecting what’s left of his heart is numb, indifferent to the fact that Jongin is in front of him, hesitant because his trust is still shattered, no guarantee of what has been a lie from the beginning.

“You’re here”, Kyungsoo opens the conversation, Jongin studying him intensely.

“I am.”

They stand there wrapped in a silence containing everything they haven’t said but always wanted to hear. As Jongin isn’t going to do it, Kyungsoo’ll talk about the elephant in the room.

“You know, I had traumas from my past relationship. He didn’t treat me very well”, he states, feeling nothing as he watches the people in the hall in their fancy suits, having the time of their life — or so it looks like to Kyungsoo who’s trapped in this conversation. “I didn’t feel very worthy, and swore to myself that never again, _never_ will I allow someone control and manipulate me for my hormones, the worthless hormones that can’t even do their job properly.

“Do you see the pattern?”

Kyungsoo wishes Jongin would say something, anything, the silence crumbling Kyungsoo’s walls little by little as it stretches. When he can’t take it any longer, he turns, ready to tell Jongin to go fuck himself, to keep himself far away from Kyungsoo for the rest of their lives.

Kyungsoo doesn’t lie when he says his jaw drops, seeing the tear falling on Jongin’s cheek, eyebrows furrowed in despair, jaw muscles clenching. He hasn’t seen Jongin regretting anything, ever, much less to the point of self-loathing Kyungsoo can see in his chocolate eyes.

“You’ve never cried before — not even in my dreams.” Seeing Jongin miserable pains him, familiar but a different kind of ache in his body.

When Jongin leans over to give his head a light kiss, it’s just like when they took their first picture together, Kyungsoo feeling suddenly so small and fragile, as a gush of wind could break him into pieces, the alpha lingering a moment too long to be casual.

Kyungsoo avoids locking their eyes, clenching his teeth to keep all his bottled feelings in — it not going too well. He’s angry Jongin dared to show up; most likely having orchestrated himself here, afraid of what’s going to happen, sad because Jongin represents all the things he lost and had to leave behind, as much as he’s happy to see the other in person after so long, there for him.

Kyungsoo whips his eyes to Jongin when his own first tear falls, Jongin gently wiping it off, his face solemn. “I’m sorry, Bubbles. I’m going to make it right, so listen to my speech very carefully.” The tremble in his voice in unmistakable.

He admires the way Jongin convincingly puts on a brave face, voice energetic in its quietness, leaving behind only the trace of cologne, all too familiar to Kyungsoo. He nods, even though Jongin doesn’t turn to look back, not once, but it’s better that way — easier for Kyungsoo to wipe his tears without fearing more will fall.

Jongin steps up to the stage, still followed by Yixing, which is enough for Kyungsoo to know something big is coming. He grabs a mic and gives the black-haired beta another as the hall quiets down, noticing the alpha at the front.

“Hello everyone, I’m Kim Jongin, the heir of Kimmistic, although today, I’m not here to represent our company, but to support my husband Kim Kyungsoo, and the cause; raising funds for an omega shelter, a topic which is very dear to my heart.

“Because of the personal nature of the speech I’m going to make, I’ll do it in my native language so the most important message will get through. I have a translator here, so all of you can still understand.” Jongin finishes with practiced English, as if he’s gone through this a million times.

Kyungsoo is not sure what to expect, but there’s a big chance this’ll be directed to him and honestly, he’s horrified. He only notices he’s wiggling his toes when his vision starts to shake, forcing calmness over his nerves.

“For a long time, I thought where to start, and I believe it’s best to give you some context to the things I’m going to tell, before anything else. Some of you may know about Kyungsoo’s hormonal dysfunction, that he has talked about publicly a few times before — I also happen to have the same medical condition, but with reversed hormonal amounts. Secondly, I strongly believed, for most of my life, that obedience is the only way to live — but look at me, rebelling against every rule set for me, because it’s the right thing to do.”

Kyungsoo gasps as he hears the words, sure Jongin has gone insane. He knows how highly Jongin thinks of his parents and their opinion, following their, and the company’s rules to the best of his abilities always, until now.

“Kyungsoo’s hormones were the reason I married him, plain and simple, as our marriage has been completely arranged since the beginning.”

Jongin’s words leave a shocked silence in the air, no one daring to breathe too loud. For Kyungsoo, it’s in slow motion, the way the house of cards, their dollhouse of playing pretend, crumbles down, piece after another, falling — nearly four years’ worth of care and loving, gone, in front of his eyes.

“There’re several reasons why I decided to announce this to the world after hiding it for years. The simplest being that I want to bring awareness to the topic, so it won’t be such a taboo anymore. Arranged marriages can be very helpful, working well for some people, and even I ended up finding the love of my life in Kyungsoo, whom I met only because our marriage was arranged. It’s important to remember, that arranged can’t equal to forced, that both parties must consent and be completely honest with each other — which I failed to be.”

The entire guest list can see how tears threaten to fall from Jongin’s eyes, some glancing around for Kyungsoo’s reaction, who’s faring somewhat better, too shocked to feel anything yet. He is torn between screaming out of frustration, no idea what he’s feeling, and going on stage and dragging the taller out of there, to keep him from ruing his image he has steadily built for years.

“Marrying Kyungsoo for his body, without telling him about the hormones — I didn’t realize how awful and objectifying thing it is, not until Kyungsoo left me. I thought I was better than other alphas, as I was aware of the things that some omegas go through, not understanding I still, very much, portrayed microaggression with the way I acted.

“Now, I’m trying to make change the best I can, continuously challenging my views, educating myself and pointing others to the right direction, bringing up issues in our company and our policies as in the entire business world. I know some of you are here today only because you need to, not really caring about the issue in our societies, but I do hope you someday come down from your high horses and admit your faults — like the rest of us have done.

“So, Kyungsoo, I want to thank you for opening my eyes when you left me, and I want to publicly apologize for the pain I’ve caused you. _I love you_ , and I know I haven’t said it before today — ironically in fear of scaring you away — , but I always have.”

Jongin smiles, through his tears, taking a long break, before he gulps loudly, more tears falling as he looks Kyungsoo straight into his eyes, “If you want to, now that the secret has been revealed, I’ll sign the divorce papers — just a word and I’ll do it, for you. I still want to win over your heart, but I won’t ever again, do anything against your will, so it’s your call.”

Kyungsoo stands there, taking in the situation, his own tears on his cheeks, again, for Jongin. That day, in the bathroom, when he decided to leave, he already knew the answer. Whether it’s because of his fucking biological coding, or Jongin’s personality, or destiny — if Jongin comes looking for him after realizing his mistake, Kyungsoo’s answer will be yes, like it has always been.

Jongin lights up like thousand watts, seeing the small nods Kyungsoo offers him, more tears falling down, relieving him after so many years of hiding his emotions. They are far from perfect, but maybe it'll all be all right, if they just have each other — building what they lost little by little, loving each other with all they got.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!  
> Thank you for reading and hopefully you enjoyed the ride!  
> I honestly have 2814747593697+1 things I want to fix and fill, fine-tune the wordings and flesh out all the characters a little better, but unfortunately, time is limited.  
> Now I'm going to catch up on all the sleep I missed writing this in the middle of the nights, do some school work I severely neglected, stream kolo while counting down the days until Soo's discharge, and of course, read the rest of the submissions for the ficfest!  
> I'd love to hear your feelings and thoughts as well, and thank you again for reading this mass of words.  
> Here's the official prompt #28 (I couldn't put it at the beginning as it would spoil a little): Due to business agreements, Kyungsoo is thrown into an arranged marriage with Jongin, the stoic looking alpha. Despite the situation, kyungsoo gets attached to jongin, who is nothing but kind to kyungsoo. They end up skirting around each other with lots of sexual tension until one confesses their feeling to the other.
> 
> I wish all of you the very best and happy new year!<3


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